


Primary Attraction

by Amitola12



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Car Sex, Catra is Bad at Feelings (She-Ra), Construction Crew Leader Adora, Desk Sex, Engineer Catra, F/F, Plot Starts to Creep in at Ch 3, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Semi-Public Sex, Sex is Plot., She Likes to Think At Least, Stranger Sex, Strap Sucking, Strap-Ons, Wall Sex, Workplace Sex, dirty dirty talk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:27:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28806558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amitola12/pseuds/Amitola12
Summary: Catra usually didn’t hate her job that much, but one infuriating contractor who won’t stop pestering her was more than enough to make her lose her cool. She decides to confront this ‘Adora’ to tell the crew leader off.She might end up being the one getting off though...
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 102
Kudos: 374





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all!
> 
> Okay, the words haven’t been my friends lately, as I struggle to get anywhere with any of my WiPs. At the (possibly joking) behest of my friends, I ended up cranking out this quick, indulgent little PWP smutshot. Hoping it’ll be the tinder to get some real work done, but regardless I hope you enjoy!

Catra crammed the hardhat over her head, hating that she didn’t just keep the one specially made to fit over her ears in her truck. Being out in the field wasn’t part of her main job description (truthfully she wasn’t even sure why she’d been issued the personal protective gear  _ or _ the work truck, but hey, that was her company’s choice, not hers) and she almost always worked from home. Why go somewhere with  _ people _ when she could perform one hundred percent of her tasks remotely? Still, her boss Netossa asked that she at least show up once every couple months, just to know she was alive and functioning. It was annoying, but she could deal. She didn’t totally hate her job (most days) and Netossa generally let her do her own thing. She could work whatever hours she wanted, so long as the job got done correctly and on time. 

However, today was proving to be a day where she definitely hated what she did for a living. She had battled traffic to come into the office (on a Friday no less) and was almost immediately bombarded with texts as soon as she sat down at her desk.  _ Adora, AGAIN?! _ She silently screamed at her phone as she read the rambling message. Enough was enough. She swiped a vest from the closet and swiped a hardhat from someone’s desk. Scorpia tried to ask her where she was off to so soon after arriving for the day, but one pointed look clearly told the short-haired woman to not even try. She scurried away with her coffee, bidding her Wildcat a nice weekend. 

Yet another text chimed through in the amount of time it took for her to climb back into her truck. This time it was a picture paired with another entirely too long message. Catra groaned as she beheld it, not emotionally prepared to have another day of  _ this _ . Hopefully when she showed up at the site- which to her annoyance was an hour and a half away, she could finally slap some sense into this contractor. It wasn’t that complicated of a job; install a new pole out in the middle of nowhere so the farmers could get their internet and maybe not lose power so frequently (the nearest transformer was a good distance away; the voltage drop was ridiculous, maybe the cows weren’t complaining but the clients sure were). Not even a particularly detailed pole at that; 45’ tall, medium class, only had a secondary line to attach and a couple comms. Sure the new transformer as well, but these bozos wouldn’t be taking care of that piece. They literally just had to stick a large cylinder of wood in the ground and make sure the buzzing lines didn’t touch so no one would get killed. Since it was an agricultural area the split neutral was a bit different, but if this crew couldn’t manage to install an extra copper pole or two in the ground they really had no business being out here in the first place. 

And obviously it  _ was _ beyond them because their idiot crew leader had called her no less than 7 times over the past week about this job, not even counting all the texts and stray emails. Catra finally made up her mind that if pictures and overhead views from Google Earth wouldn’t do it, not to mention her  _ extremely detailed blueprints _ and all the time she’d spent on the phone with this woman, she’d go out and show this dumbass exactly where she could stick her pole.

“Where’s Adora Grayson?” Catra demanded, without preamble, as she approached a shrimpy blond dude. He was obviously just the traffic signaler, though why he was even here she had no idea.  _ She _ certainly hadn’t called for a traffic control plan; just one more thing she’d have to take up with this so-called leader. It was a two lane road with a huge shoulder for god’s sake! Their equipment wasn’t blocking any part of the street. There was no reason to have someone here to direct traffic when they were literally just surrounded by corn and sleepy farms; just a waste of time and resources. She really hated Adora from the very pit of her stomach.

“Uhhhh… Who can I say is here?” The worker blinked at her, eyes more than a little wide. She supposed the lashing tail and bared fangs had something to do with his nervousness, not that she really cared about his comfort in the slightest. She was far too peeved for that.

“Catra. The designer.” She said flatly. It sounded way more prestigious than it actually was. Her job was ‘low-fat engineering’; she evaluated the poles based on measurements taken by people out in the field, ran them through a couple of engineering programs and drew up construction plans telling the crews what to do. Normally it was pretty easy work, she cranked out a few jobs a week, but with how much this Adora Grayson had been hounding her about every last detail… Well, her lack of production this week was just one more thing to be irritated over.

“Oh. Right, right. Um, okay.” He began to look around wildly, obviously searching for an adult to help him navigate this situation. Fortunately for him, a short, built woman with dreads came up to investigate.

“What’s going on, Kyle? Who’s she?” The woman sneered, not giving Kyle a chance to answer. She turned to face Catra, arms across her chest. “Listen lady, we don’t let just anyone with a hardhat and vest wander up here. This is a damned construction site.”

Catra gritted her back teeth together, claws sliding out of their own accord as she fought to gain control herself. Who did this punk think she was, addressing her like that? Truly, what random person wore personal protective equipment like a damn hardhat if they didn’t need to? It was pretty fucking obvious that she belonged here. The bounds of this person’s stupidity were endless; Adora must have trained them. “Well, you just explained everything I needed to know. You all are struggling so hard because you obviously can’t  _ read _ .” She tapped the logo on the stupid flourescent vest she was forced to wear when at an active construction site. It proudly displayed the name of her company in bold, dark lettering. “I work for the place that hired your stupid asses. I also  _ designed _ this whole fucking job, so yeah, I think I can be here. Especially since I have the hardhat and vest.”

The dark skinned woman sniffed, unimpressed and unshaken by the information. “So? Why you here?”

She might actually smack this woman. “Just point me to Grayson. Your fearless leader has been blowing up my phone since apparently you idiots can’t follow the pretty pictures I spend hours making.”

Jutting a thumb behind her back, the crew member cackled. “Yeah, that sounds like Adora, calling on the ladies… Big trailer in the back. Can’t miss it. I’ll even text her so she knows ‘The Designer’ is coming.” The woman rolled her eyes as she emphasized Catra’s title. “Kyle, round up the guys. We’re going to lunch early. Let these two big shots figure it out.”

“Grayson.” Catra stated shortly, letting herself into the trailer. She didn’t bother to knock, figuring that since her crew had warned her, Adora wouldn’t be too surprised by her appearance.

“Heya! The designer herself.” Adora said warmly, smiling as she stood from the makeshift desk in her mobile office. “Not often we get a desk lackey out here.” 

“Trust me, this was  _ not _ in my plans for the day.” Catra crossed her arms over her chest, absently noting just how thick Adora’s were. It was very apparent it wasn’t just her crew out hauling and lifting. “But someone keeps calling me, so here we are.”

“How could I not call someone who looks so darn cute in that safety vest?” The crew leader mocked, eyeing down the length of Catra’s body, before she settled into a cocky grin. “Here we are, indeed. Gotta say, maybe I shoulda come in myself when we were bidding for this job. Might have met you a little sooner. Missed opportunity... But you’re here now at least.”

Catra was taken aback by the familiarity in the woman’s tone, not to mention her suggestive gaze, but she shook off her confusion. She was not going to be distracted by this buff moron  _ no matter _ how damn good she looked in her tight black shirt and dark wash jeans. Her heavy soled, steel toed boots added several extra inches on an already tall frame. Catra cleared her throat, trying to get back to the reason for her visit. “Flattery gets you nowhere with me, so drop it. You’ve called me countless times over the last few days to pick at every little detail. Your most recent text said you can’t find the stake marking the new pole. Since you’re such an incompetent, I thought I’d come and do your job  _ for you _ .”

Adora certainly didn’t seem perturbed by Catra’s brush-off or biting words, almost more pleased at hearing them. She gave a good natured smile and laughed, shaking her head at herself. “Yeah, this one has been a bit tricky, huh? That primary configuration…”

“Do NOT bring up those damn primary lines again!” Catra cut in, slamming herself down into the open chair in front of Adora’s desk in a huff. They had spent nearly an hour yesterday going back and forth with one another over it. Adora was convinced it was one size, Catra  _ knew it was _ another. That would have to wait until next week though, because these jokers had already wasted most of the day trying to find the spot for the new pole. She’d get them on the right path and then go back to her apartment and not talk to another soul for at least two weeks. This amount of socializing could not be healthy for her, especially when it was with pigheaded, blonde idiots. 

“I’m telling you, it’s 336.” Adora shrugged as Catra tried to not notice exactly how well-defined her deltoids were as they moved. This woman must  _ live _ at the gym. Her eyes glazed over as she continued to ruminate about Adora’s shoulders.  _ A comfy place to sit… _ Adora continued on, thankfully not catching the faraway look to Catra’s eyes as she got lost in a most inopportune, steamy daydream. She might have said more prior but Catra tuned back in again at, “Look, since you don’t believe me, why don’t you and I go take a look. You can count the wires yourself and show me where this invisible stake is.”

Catra pushed the last remaining dregs of her less than polite thoughts away, refocusing herself once more. She rose from the chair and turned on her heel to leave. “Exactly why I’m here, Grayson. Let’s get going.”

Less than five minutes later, after confirming with her crew to pack it up for a long lunch, Adora and Catra were walking down the road right of way to the west. Catra knew the stake was about 150’ away from the area they had just walked away from. She’d had some trouble figuring out where to put the new pole location given the amount of brush and growth along the roadway, but there was a small brick building, possibly an old gas utility shed, that she’d had her fielder put the post close to. That was certainly easy enough to spy in the distance. She scowled at the idiocy of the team her company had hired to do this work, but was it a wonder they sucked so bad when Adora was in charge?

“So, how long you been designing for?” Adora asked amicably as they trotted down the shoulder, carefully avoiding the ditches and gullies in the gravel. 

Catra sighed. Of course the blonde would try for chitchat; she was exactly the type. “We  _ really _ don’t need to fill our time with small talk. I’m going to show you that you’re an idiot, then be on my way. Maybe in the future I’ll be unlucky enough to be paired with you again, but we certainly aren’t trying for a friendship in all of this.”

Adora gave a small smile and mimicked zipping her mouth shut, shoving her hands in her jeans pockets. She began to whistle as they walked, which was not the least bit annoying to Catra. Not at all. 

Fortunately for her short fuse, they arrived at the abandoned brick shack before much longer. Catra’s mismatched eyes narrowed as she scanned the area for the red-tipped piece of wood that would mark where her pole needed to go. It was nowhere to be found. “Where is it? What did you do with it?” She faced the much taller woman headon, jabbing a finger in her direction.

Adora laughed, the sound coming right from her belly. “You… you think I removed the stake? Why would I do that, Cat?” She glanced down at the hand that was positioned in the middle of her chest and smirked. Catra hadn’t quite realized that she’d actually touched the other woman while accusing her. It made the tips of her ears burn, all the more so when Adora seemed perfectly content with it staying right there. Of course, Catra herself also made no attempt to remove it. It was just the tip of her finger, but even through Adora’s shirt, she found the burn of the other woman’s skin most pleasant in a highly irritating manner. She could indulge for a couple seconds longer if they both weren’t going to mention that it was happening in the first place. Adora continued to speak. “Let’s look around for it. I’m sure the property owner saw this thing in the ground and decided it didn’t need to be there. Probably tossed it to the side or something. We’ll find it, I’ll grab my measuring tools and we’ll put it back.”

There was so much wrong with what the blonde was suggesting, but Catra also did not feel like alerting her fielder to come out to put a post in the ground when she was perfectly capable of doing that herself. Getting someone out here would just take more time and she knew there weren’t any underground lines they could accidentally hit. The risk was pretty minimal, even if corporate would probably frown at her methods. But what they didn’t know... “Fine. And don’t call me Cat. You don’t know me.”

“What can I call you then? Madame Designer?” Adora teased with a lazy smile, finally reaching up to Catra’s finger and removing it from her person. She did not immediately release her grasp, their hands falling awkwardly between them, still intertwined. Adora jerked her head in the direction of the abandoned outbuilding. “Wanna check back behind there first?”

Catra gave a small nod, allowing herself to be pulled along by the blonde. When they reached the area behind the building, Adora made some pretense of looking around in the tall grass for the missing piece of wood, before shrugging it off as a lost cause. She turned to face the shorter woman, eyes twinkling. “So. We doing this?”

Catra bit her lip, not really needing to ask what the blonde meant by ‘this’. Not with how close she was standing. Not with how their hands were still laced. Not when Adora had the audacity to look like  _ that _ , with that body, those arms _... _ She was truly the worst. “You are the most  _ annoying _ person on the face of this planet.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Adora drolled, not the least bit waylaid by the insult. She paused, then licked her lips. “Fingers or mouth?”

The brunette threw her hardhat somewhere off to the side, shrugging out of her neon vest. That shit was like the opposite of sexy and had no business on her person at the moment. As much as she hated this arrogant asshole, the idea of seeing her on her knees in front of her was certainly worth every agonizing moment they had spent talking this week. Catra was anxious to get to it already. “Use your stupid mouth. Since it’ll get you to shut it finally.”

“Shut it? I don’t think you’d like that at all, princess. I’m good, but probably couldn’t get you off quite as well... But I  _ do _ think you’ll like exactly what this ‘stupid mouth’ is capable of…” Without another word, Adora pushed her against the rough brickwork of the building. She wasted no time parting Catra’s lips open with her tongue, her hands already exploring the lithe frame of the woman in front of her. She cupped her tits, while running her other hand over her waist. Her hand was so large, Catra swore one was almost enough to completely encircle her. They were so firm and sure in their motions that Catra was already swallowing the moans that threatened to escape. There would be no dealing with the blonde after this if she vocalized her appreciation so readily. 

Catra matched Adora’s kiss with equal ferocity, adding not so gentle nips from her sharp teeth. The other woman tensed at every bite before somehow coming at her with even more force. It was an enthralling back and forth; a physical altercation of animalistic attraction. She felt no small amount of satisfaction at the low growl she pulled from the other woman as her claws dug into the shoulders she had been admiring a short time before. Spurred on by the pleasing knick of pain, Adora pulled away, giving her a lopsided grin. “Kitty’s got claws…”

Catra rolled her eyes. “‘And she likes to use them.’ Yeah, yeah, heard it all before.”

“Oh, so you’ve done this before then? Suddenly I don’t feel so special any more.” Adora needled playfully, trailing a line of kisses down her neck. Catra’s eyes shuddered closed for a second at the much different sensation. She was relieved when she felt the other woman’s teeth graze her skin. It was not nearly enough, not even close to as hard as she liked it, but anything  _ soft _ was dangerous; not what she was looking for with any of this. She certainly wouldn’t give Adora the satisfaction of begging for more either. 

“You’re not _ special _ . You’re an absolute pain in my ass who just so happens to want to go down on me. This is purely a business arrangement.” 

“A pain in your ass, huh?” Adora considered for a moment before placing her hands firmly on Catra’s ass, giving it a nice squeeze followed by a most appreciative slap. Catra squeaked at the unexpected motion, moving her hands up from Adora’s shoulders to fist through her short hair. She gave it a yank as a reprimand, but that only seemed to fuel the blonde all the more. “Yours sure is fine… But I’m definitely getting sidetracked here. Like you said. Time to get down to business.” Without warning, she pulled Catra’s leggings down, the now half bare woman shivering at the sudden exposure.

Adora gave a long, low whistle. “ _ Madame Designer! _ You can’t possibly say this wasn’t in the plans for your Friday, because no panties? Hmm, hmm, hmmm...”

“Shut the fuck up and just fuck me already! God, you’re just absolutely terrible. Cocky for no damn good reason, stupid as shit since you can’t tell a triplex from a bare aluminum conductor…” In retrospect, it sounded a lot better in Catra’s head. In her defense, she had her pants off with a complete stranger and was about to get eaten out in semi-public. The brain thoughts weren’t exactly coherent at the moment.

“You really wanna talk wires when you’re the one who’s bare around here?” Catra just pushed down on Adora’s head in response, trying to put the woman where she wanted her to be.  _ Anything to get her to finally stop talking _ . Adora laughed at her attempt to position her, clucking her tongue. “Ah, ah, ah kitten! Flattered that you want me so bad, feeling’s mutual by the way, but that’s not what I had in mind.”

Before Catra could ask what thought such a brainless twit like her could possibly have rolling around in that skull, she was lifted straight up into the air by the muscled arms she’d been so admiring earlier. She was certain that she squeaked again, but it quickly melded into a deep groan as she felt Adora’s hot breath surround her core. Catra was balanced perfectly on Adora’s shoulders, back against the rough wall, the blonde’s mouth so delightfully close yet far away from where she needed her to be. She glanced down to the face below her, as if needing to confirm her current position with her own eyes. A bright blue gaze met her before giving her a wink. “Ohh, gonna watch me, huh? Kinky.”

Catra was given no chance to respond as Adora closed the distance with one wide swipe of her tongue that quickly melded into darting perfection. It was embarrassing as hell to admit that first brush was almost all she needed to come, but it had been a while since she’d indulged in anything other than her own hand. And Adora was irritating beyond all measure, but  _ fuck _ if she didn’t know what she was doing. She laved at Catra’s swollen clit with practiced measure, periodically abandoning her onslaught to tease the tip of her tongue at her entrance, refusing to go any deeper each time. Every time she did so, a chant of “Fuck, fuck, fuck, goddammit,  _ I hate you _ !” sounded from Catra’s mouth, her hands pushing the blonde’s head forward to bring her tongue inside. Adora resisted the force, content to keep Catra on edge. Finally Catra had enough and ripped the other woman’s head back, one hand coming around to the side of her neck. She didn’t dare squeeze, but her grip wasn’t a loving caress either. Catra growled, “Get your fingers in me  _ now _ .”

The asshole gave her a lazy smile, eyes heavily lidded over. “Figuring out my likes so easily… Probably bad form to not ask first, though. But I’ll say it now; choke me, baby and I’ll come  _ real _ hard.”

“Bold of you to think you’re even getting anything from me after this.” Catra retorted, wondering how obvious her lie was. Of course she wanted her hands over every chiseled pane, wanted to return the favor and make the blonde beg for release… But Adora certainly didn’t need to know that. She might think Catra liked her or something. That simply wouldn’t do. “Fingers. Now.” 

“Sure thing, Madame.” Another infuriating wink as Adora’s hand snaked up between her thighs. For one terrifying second Catra thought the teasing would only continue, until she felt one blissfully thick digit enter her. She audibly sighed in relief, before it quickly turned to panting yelps as Adora fucked her soundly, sucking her clit as she did. 

At the dual ministrations, Catra suddenly had no control over her reactions. Any attempt to mask her noises was now a laughable thought- Adora just felt too good and was hitting the right spots too perfectly. She hated how easily she responded to each thrust of the woman’s fingers (now two, knuckle deep, relentlessly driving into her), how it made her hips stutter to feel Adora’s mouth work against her. Desperate moans and needy cries poured from Catra as she grinded herself down, taking everything Adora had to offer and only wanting more. The rough stonework of the building she was against was probably tearing up her back even through her shirt, but her only lament was that the scratches wouldn’t be from Adora’s fingernails. 

It did not take long for Catra to be pulled over the edge, Adora driving her masterfully. With one final surge she fisted her hands through the blonde’s hair, holding her head in place as Catra quivered and shook around her. She was certain her thighs were a vice grip around Adora’s head, but she really couldn't care less so long as the woman remained standing. Adora slowed her motions, letting Catra work through the last pulses of her release. She slumped backwards, trying to catch her breath as she rested against the structure behind her. Catra swore she felt the other woman press one reverent kiss to her center before she vacated the area, but that was far too disturbing a thought to even consider. She had no room for tenderness, particularly from strangers who were nothing more than an irritating but fantastic lay.

“So.” Adora began, slowly lowering Catra back down to the ground once she had nodded that she was ready. Adora massaged her shoulders a little, rolling them out. Ruefully she realized it was a bad day to be in a black t-shirt since she had ended up wearing a dripping woman like a scarf. The crew was going to have a field day heckling her about what she spent her lunch hour doing. She already made up her mind to send them home early; this work shit could wait until Monday. As Catra made herself decent once more, Adora fought for a topic she and the woman she’d just fucked against a wall could possibly have to talk about. Work really was about the only option, since Carra had so vehemently shot down her attempt earlier to play the ‘Get to Know You’ game. “About that pole stake…”

Catra sighed as gathered up her discarded bottoms, pulling them on her again. At least she hadn’t been stripped entirely; that would be completely mortifying. She grumbled, not quite ready to face Adora now that everything was said and done. “I’ll replace it on Monday morning.”

“You or…?”

“Yes, me. I would have done it today, saved us both a lot of trouble, but I don’t exactly carry those posts around with me.”

Adora looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, rocking back and forth on her heels. “I’ll tell the crew to come in late Monday then, but I’ll be here first thing. Just in case you need a hand.”

The brunette narrowed her eyes, before the corner of her mouth crooked up into a grin. “A hand, huh?” She cast her eyes around the area once more, glancing up at the lines above them. “I might stick around after too. Supervise your dumb asses and make sure you don’t fuck things up too badly. You already managed to waste an entire day here.”

The blonde arched a brow, ignoring the jibe at her productivity. “You know, we still need to figure out that primary size. Wanna make sure to get the right spool on the new pole.”

Catra felt a cluster headache begin to build behind her left eye. So hot, but so absolutely aggravating. “... We can argue about that next week.”

“My trailer’s wide open for you any time.” Adora replied, before feigning nonchalance. “Actually it is right now if you wanna... the guys won’t be back for a while yet…”

“Shut up, Grayson.” Catra began to walk back towards where she had parked, hips swaying of their own accord as she knew the other woman was watching intently. “You can wait until Monday, like a good girl.”

“Yes, Madame Designer.” Adora toned, trailing after her like a lost puppy. It wasn’t often that two people would be looking forward to Monday morning at work so much.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite her adventure on Friday, Catra treated the weekend like any other. She slept in as late as she damn well pleased on Saturday morning, laid around in her pajamas for the majority of the afternoon. Scorpia called her up on Saturday night to invite her to lunch the following day, citing that her bestie had seemed a little out of it the day before so they definitely needed a hang sesh. Catra tried to beg off, stating she wasn’t interested in the slightest, but Scorpia barrelled on ahead with, “Oh, I don’t accept any of that.”

True to her word, Scorpia appeared at her door at the ungodly hour of 11 AM on a _ Sunday _ , chattering on about dim sum as Catra begrudgingly got dressed. “You’ll just love it, Wildcat! Family style eating and just all so  _ tasty _ . The soup dumplings alone…” Her friend looked near to tears over merely talking about the dish. 

Catra ended up glad she relented, because the dumplings really were that good. She did pitch a fit when her friend tried to drag her to the mall of all places after eating. “Scorpia. No one goes  _ shopping _ anymore. What the hell is still even open?”

“Oh, Wildcat, not the mall-mall. That place is a ghost town, wooo buddy! I think even the Cinnabon bailed.” Catra nodded, thinking her point had been made. Once Hot Topic and Auntie Anne’s left, it was for sure dead. Those franchises would die on that hill though. “I’m talking about the Outlets! 60% off or more!”

Which is how Catra ended up at the outlet mall, paused outside the door to a shop and shaking her head wildly. A poster with a pair of buxom babes in flimsy undergarments stared down at her from either side of the entrance. “Uh-uh, no way. Jesus Christ, Scorp. Did you bring me  _ lingerie  _ shopping?! There are boundaries in friendships. Learn them!”

“Not specifically, but y’know. We’re here, it’s here...” The tall woman shrugged. “and it’s almost my anniversary. I know what my lady likes.”

“... Sadly, so do I, for as many times as you’ve told me _way_ too many details.” Forlornly Catra made her way into the Victoria’s Secret outlet, trying to project as much ‘Leave me the fuck alone, I _do not_ require any assistance’ into her body language for the benefit of any “helpful” sales associates. 

Scorpia made a beeline right to the pretty, skimpy things, completely abandoning her friend to sulk in the chairs by the dressing rooms. Fortunately no employees had tried to accost her as she made her way there, probably thinking she was the person Scorpia was buying for. What a terrifying image. 

She grew bored after a while, her phone no longer distracting her from the looks the other shoppers were giving her as she stewed in stormy silence. She considered for a half moment checking her work email, but she wasn’t  _ quite _ at that level yet. Catra had no idea where Scorpia went and was just generally over the bright lights and din of the store. She shot a quick text that her friend would find her outside, possibly laying across a bench, dead, after choking on the perfume stink of Vickie’s. 

She tried to keep her eyes focused forward as she headed to the exit, but a flash of red caught her eye. Catra had a  _ very _ similar thong shoved in the back corner of her top drawer; an artifact from the last failure of a relationship she had. As was apparent on Friday, she usually opted to go without, but maybe… She shook off the thought with a stern glint to her eye and made it out of the store unscathed.

At least Scorpia didn’t keep her waiting for too much longer, tottering out with several bags in claw. She offered to show Catra her purchases, but the brunette gave a firm ‘Hell no!’ to that and they continued on, Scorpia wanting to stop in at nearly every store. As a result of her friend’s love of capitalism when it was offered at a discount, Catra ended up back at her apartment far later than she was anticipating. Not late by any stretch, but that many hours out in the real world had left her feeling drained. She puttered around a little aimlessly, trying to shake off whatever was bugging her, before tucking into some leftovers she found in the back of her fridge. As she ate, she typed out a quick email to Netossa to say that she’d be taking a personal day tomorrow and Tuesday. It wasn’t like her to do, but Catra had plenty of PTO and they could just deal. She saw several emails that made her roll her eyes, but it wasn’t anything that couldn’t wait. She turned on something mindless to zone out to in the dwindling hours of her Sunday evening, eventually falling asleep to the quiet drone.

The first thing that Catra noticed when she woke was that her neck was incredibly sore. It wasn’t unlike her to crash on the couch; sometimes it was just far too much effort to drag herself to the bed. But she’d fallen asleep half upright, head in a rigid position against the arm of the couch, and her phone was resting against her chin. Dozing while flicking through the bottomless pit of despair and inane content that made up Twitter. Kind of pathetic in retrospect.

The second thing she noticed was that it was ungodly early, like “I’ve only ever seen this hour after crawling home from the bar” level of early. Despite the time, she found herself weirdly awake. She supposed that getting every last second of her hastily decided-upon vacation wasn’t a terrible plan, though two or three more hours of sleep would have been vastly preferable. With a sigh, Catra rolled out her stiff neck and padded into the kitchen, French press coffee on her mind.

Cup of joe in hand, Catra curled up in her window seat with a book, a large, fluffy afghan draped over the bottom half of her body. The sun was just beginning to rise, but there was enough light to read by. She’d been looking forward to the novel immensely; the sequel to some space necromancer book everyone was talking about. The first one was pretty cool, but this continuation? Turned out to be way too much to follow this early in the morning. The stick was angry  _ and _ insane; she really couldn’t deal with both right now, choosing to set it aside for the time being.

Glancing at her shelf, no other books looked super appealing. She was between Netflix shows right now, and rewatching something she’d seen a million times before sounded dull. Catra began to grow irritated; awake far earlier than normal on a day that she didn’t have to work, with the promise that work would only be far more insistent as a result of her desire to take a day or two for herself. The crook in her neck was starting to release, but still felt absurdly tight. Maybe a hot bath would help that particular complaint.

A short while later, she sunk into the scalding water with a noise that was a cross between a sigh of relief and a wince. The old clawfoot tub had been touted by the landlord as a major selling point of her apartment; practically the sole reason she should put up with the lack of central air, the drafty windows, and a kitchen that was barely wide enough for two people to fit. In truth, Catra did not give a flying fuck about it, only agreeing to rent this space because it was cheap as hell and at least the tub had been updated to also have a showerhead. But today was already weird enough since she was awake at 6:30 AM, so why not make it even stranger by taking a bath too? 

The activity was outside her norm, but the heat from the water was loosening the crick in her neck considerably. She was grateful for the ease, but still felt… wired, for lack of a better word. On edge, but not quite anxious. Catra gritted her teeth in frustration, willing her mind to stay focused on the hot water she was stewing in, utterly determined that she _would_ _relax, dammit_ even if her thoughts were just as resolute to stray towards forbidden topics. It didn’t take long for the bath to be judged a futile effort; she quickly toweled off, and wrapped herself in the plush robe she’d treated herself to in a rare moment of consumer therapy.

Cloaked in the soft Turkish cotton robe, Catra lay down on the middle of her bed. Sleep seemed beyond her still, but maybe if her body relaxed a little, her mind would follow suit… Her hand had been resting by the outside of her thigh, inert against the comforter, but slowly made its way up and inward. She stifled a moan at the first brush of her fingertip against her aching bud. She paused to revel in the shudder of pleasure, a little surprised to find herself as turned on as she was. Catra let her thoughts drift into the mindset of things that would normally make this activity a rousing success before picking up the pace with her fingers. The images that came to mind at these times were never very focused on specifics, just the idea of large hands and firm muscles holding her down were enough for her breath to quicken. She lost herself to that, until…  _ a flash of blue eyes peering up at her with a devilish smirk _ . Catra gave an involuntary moan, working her fingers a little more wildly at the memory of digging her claws into short, blonde hair and pressing that handsome face harder into her dripping cunt. Realizing what was happening, Catra recoiled against the place her lust had dragged her, halting her motions entirely. 

Convinced she’d gotten a grip on herself again, Catra started up once more. Everything was going well; a nameless, faceless top above her, ready to drive her over the edge. Within minutes, she was there, so close, just needed one flash of dirty inspiration and her fingers crooked just right, to give herself the release she so craved... but a tall frame with infuriating swagger invaded her mind, clawing for her undivided attention. Ripping her hand away from herself with a guttural growl, she cursed the universe out for being such a  _ fucking bitch _ and rolled out of bed. Within minutes she had thrown on clothes (totally whatever she could reach; she hadn’t spent time laying out an outfit yesterday afternoon, never) and was in her car, mind scrambling to come up with a plan on what to do once she actually got there.

“Hey there, Madame Designer! Good to see ya.” Adora rose from her desk with a bright smile as the door to her trailer opened, rushing forward the short distance to greet her visitor. “Hope you like it black.”

Catra blinked at the cup of coffee being extended to her. She really hadn’t been sure how this would go; stuck somewhere between  _ Adora, I was trying to jerk off earlier and couldn’t stop thinking about your hot mouth on my clit; mind helping a gal out?  _ and just pinning the blonde to the floor and grinding one out on her before leaving to get on with her life. But however it would unfold, being handed a cup of coffee as part of her greeting hadn’t factored into any of the scenarios that played in her head during her drive here. As a reflex, Catra snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to look Adora in the eye. “Already had coffee today.”

The blonde seemed to deflate a little, but kept up a good face. “Right. Of course, of course. Might be cold anyway, I, uh, was expecting you a little earlier…”

“Expecting me? Hmph, that’s pathetic even for you.” Normally derision felt pretty good, but at the confused  _ and _ hurt puppy dog look in Adora’s blue eyes, something sunk in Catra’s chest. “Look, I know I was supposed to come put that stake in for you first thing but I forgot I had today and tomorrow off. That’s why I’m so late.” She gave a little wave of her hand, hoping to distract Adora from what was probably the clumsiest cover she had ever tried in her life. Only if Adora were truly an idiot would she be buying tickets to what Catra was trying to sell. “Just gimmie that coffee.” Though it was definitely breaking most of the rules she’d set for herself during her drive over by here accepting the cup, she still grumbled out a low, “Thanks.”

“Uh, yeah. Don’t mention it.” Adora said with a perplexed look on her face. She ultimately decided to not give the explanation much more thought, choosing instead to sit back down in the chair behind her desk and gesturing for Catra to take a seat at the one across from her. 

The blonde drummed her fingers across the side of her cup, looking around her own mobile office as if it were her first time here. She stopped fidgeting with her cup in favor of pushing a pen around the top of her desk. That kept her amused for a good 30 seconds until it fell to the floor and rolled away, lost under a cabinet. Catra impassively observed the restless behavior, wondering if an orgasm was really worth having anything to do with this awkward moment. Seeming suddenly to make up her mind about something, Adora gave a definitive nod, and spoke once more. “I thought about you all weekend.”

Catra tried to not choke at the words, because  _ of course _ she’d been mid-sip as they were uttered. She found out on Friday that Adora wasn’t the type to mince words, but she really went for it here. What the hell do you say to that? “... Okay.”

Probably not the response the blonde had been hoping for, but she also didn’t seem too dismayed by it. “Yeah. Gotta say, princess, you left me definitely wanting more on Friday. And then when you were so late this morning…”

“It’s 9 AM. What the hell time did you get here?” Catra spat out, not exactly appreciating that her supposed tardiness was being brought up again. Adora should be thanking her lucky stars she’d decided to show up at all.  _ Wanting more… What, does she think I owe her anything? _

“Oh, uh. A while ago.” The blonde waved off the question entirely. “But anyway, I’m just really glad to see you here because honestly, Madame, I wanna fuck you again.”

Between the intensity of the look Adora was giving her, eyes blown a little wider than normal, leaning forward in her chair just to be that much closer, Catra was left feeling a certain kind of way. As Adora leaned forward, she leaned back, a picture of ease and comfort even as heat began to curl low in her abdomen. A purr wanted to escape her chest, but like hell she was going to let that happen. Her tail lashed once behind her, multicolored eyes narrowing as she considered the words. “Fuck me, huh?” Adora nodded, eying Catra greedily. Before the blonde could open her mouth to say anything more, let alone move from her seat to follow up on her wants, Catra was on the prowl. With a limber grace she rose from her chair, setting the barely touched lukewarm coffee on a filing cabinet, and climbing into Adora’s lap to straddle her fully. 

Adora crooked a smile with a stuttered breath, eyes glazing over as Catra made herself comfortable. “Yeah.  _ So badly. _ ”

Catra gave a hum of approval and lowered her hips down, immediately feeling the hard press of something hit her thigh. With a quick, sharp movement she grasped the source and pushed backwards with her hand. Adora gasped at the contact, going rigid, fingernails digging into the arms of her chair. “Packing at work, Grayson? How presumptuous of you.” Catra gave another jerk, with a squeeze. 

“Ah! Ah,  _ ahem _ , uh. Well, I usually do, um, pack. Just more comfortable with something, y’know, there most of the time.” Adora explained. Sure this was going in the direction she had been hoping for their morning, was the exact reason why she had told her crew to not even bother showing up before lunch (if at all), but damn if it just wasn’t the hottest thing to have Catra take the lead. An unforeseen but very happy turn of events, one even a service top like her could revel in. “But it’s a pack and play. I wasn’t sure what size you,  _ Ah! Jesus you’re good at that _ , wasn’t sure what size you preferred so I do have others with me…”

Catra leaned back a moment, not quite removing her hand from the tantalizing bulge in Adora’s jeans, but definitely pulling away enough to give the blonde a most withering look. “Are you telling me that you brought ‘The Bag’ with you? My god, are we in our early twenties? Did you have to sneak out of your dorm to get here?”

“Hey! Some would find that very considerate of me.” The other woman protested with a slight pout. She then cocked a grin, shuddering her eyes slightly as Catra continued to stroke the length of her. “And I’m  _ all  _ about my lady’s pleasure.”

With her other hand, Catra reached up and grabbed Adora’s chin, tilting it up so they were nearly face to face. She narrowed her eyes to bare slits, trying to ignore just how blue Adora’s were as they peered up at her in surprise. “Let’s get one thing settled right here and now, Grayson. No matter what, no matter how many times you rail me, or how good it is... I am  _ not _ ‘your’ lady.”

_ You’re not yet, at least.  _ Adora chose to keep this comment to herself; the back-and-forth lunge and parry was half the fun in all this. But with all her posturing, Adora certainly didn’t want to scare away such a worthy match as Catra was proving to be. Adora could go on with her little game if it amused her so much, but not without ruffling her fur as much as she could along the way. “You think it’s gonna be good, huh?”

“That’s the only reason I came here, you moron! Like I really would want to see your stupid face otherwise.”

Adora considered for a moment, resting her hands on the waist so conveniently placed in front of her. She ran her thumbs along it, appreciative of the choice to wear a maroon crop top to a construction site. So completely unprofessional, but that stripe of exposed, tight midriff had Adora practically salivating already. “So this is another ‘business proposal’ like last week?”

“Duh. What else would it be?” Catra drove a fingertip into the blonde’s forehead, poking the spot where a brain ought to be. She was pretty sure Adora’s model came without one installed. “It’s not as if I  _ like _ you or anything.”

The blonde arched a brow at the woman atop her lap, rolling her eyes with a warm smile. “Right, because that would be so embarrassing for you... Talking is fun and all, but you do want my cock, right?”

Catra stilled at the question, only managing to halt her sharp intake of breath at the last second. Maybe she’d wanted to get her mouth on her pussy; it might have been all she’d thought about as she sped here, the salty sweet taste as she fluttered her tongue against the hard, swollen clit. But Catra was adaptable and the thought of getting stretched out by this beautiful, blonde butch already had her dripping. “Ugh. Yes. But you know what? I can’t even stand the sight of you.” The brunette released her grasp on the strap, Adora groaning a little at the loss of contact, and stood. She turned away and slowly began to work her leggings down. Catra took her time, knowing even while faced away that Adora was drinking in every centimeter of newly exposed skin. She flushed at the idea of it; a way to put this braggart in her place. The satisfaction was doubled when she heard Adora groan from low in her chest at the sight of Catra’s lacy red thong. 

“Oh, so you do have underwear. It must have just been laundry day on Friday.” Adora cracked, licking her lips at the whisper of gossamer fabric that framed Catra’s perfect ‘spank me raw’ ass. She knew the jibe wasn’t going to go over well, but sometimes Adora’s mouth ran before her brain could catch up. It happened quite frequently around hot women and Catra was damn near the sexiest she’d ever seen. 

The brunette growled, turning back around to imperiously address the other woman. “Stop talking, you moron. Take your pants off, now.” Adora obeyed with a crafty grin, dutifully unbuckling her belt, sliding it out of the loops. She held it in her hand for a moment, raising a questioning eyebrow in Catra‘s direction. She scowled heavily at the implication, not needing the blonde to fill in the gaps for her. Apparently Adora thought she was a rope bunny. “Yeeeah, not sure what you think you’ll do with that. Do I look like someone who’d let a stranger restrain them?”

“Nah, more like the type that lets them get nose deep in you against a wall.” Adora chuckled at her own wit and stood, kicking off her boots, and unzipping her jeans to shimmy out of them. 

Tight black boxer briefs displayed the sizeable bulge that had Catra begging for a cool drink. She pushed away her weakness and growled. “Bring that up again, and I  _ swear _ , you’ll be walking away with blue balls and a black eye.”

The blonde considered for a minute, weighing if it was worth the risk. It was just too much fun to resist… And from the way Catra’s throat bobbed with a thick swallow as Adora shed her bottoms, she was reasonably assured that this was a done deal almost no matter what she said. “Pretty sure it’s called blue canoe when it’s lesbians.” She murmured, pausing for a moment to let the weight of her decision to be an utter asshole sink in. Then Adora continued on, nonplussed by the bared fangs from her soon to be bedpartner. “But actually, princess, the belt’s for  _ my _ hands, if you so agree. I like to try to get out; it gets  _ real _ fun when I do.” She waggled her eyebrows with a smirk that was just dripping in suggestion. 

Catra considered the words, mind trying to catch up to what exactly was being proposed. That… wasn’t what she’d been picturing but it wasn’t terrible either. Not one to take well to being outplayed, she merely scoffed out an “Idiot.” 

“Hmm, that’s not a yes or a no, so we’ll just toss that one to the side. Within arm’s reach though, just in case.” She placed the leather accessory on the top of her desk and hooked her thumbs at the top of her boxers, ready to pull them down. “Oh… um, I take really good care of my straps but like, how do you know that, right? We barely know each other.” Adora said it with a mocking cadence, despite the honest truth of the words. “So I have a condom with me, jeans pocket. I, ah, wanna be respectful about what goes in my partner...”

That was a new one on Catra as well. It made sense, but like hell any of her previous flings had ever shown that level of consideration or foresight. Catra really didn’t know what to say, so she fell back on her favorite defense. “At least I won’t get knocked up with your stupid kid then. Fate worse than death there. All that silicone had me real worried.”

“Not your best comeback, but I’m gonna just blame it on how bad you want me right now.” She resumed pulling down her boxers, amused to hell at how Catra was training her gaze anywhere but down. The woman’s tail was lashing wildly behind her, looking like she wanted nothing more than to pounce but was far too proud to give into such base desires. As Adora kicked away her underwear and tightened her harness just a smidge, she teased out, “You can peek, y’know.” 

Adora’s flippancy was met with a hand in the middle of her chest giving her a sharp shove. Not for the first time she was glad that she hated chairs with wheels, at least when she toppled backwards the chair remained firmly in its place. She laughed in spite of the barely veiled aggression, clucking her tongue in mock admonishment. “Eager, are we?”

Catra faced the smug blonde, resisting every urge to knock her across the face at the way she had one hand crooked behind her head, watching Catra with a grin. Before she could make good on that urge, she got up and grabbed Adora’s discarded jeans from the floor. Finding what she was looking for, she returned to the lounging idiot but kept her back towards the other woman. “Just shut up already and make this worth my time.” Adora gave a noncommittal hum as Catra straddled herself over Adora’s hips while turned away from her. To look down at that face as she was taking the woman’s strap… That was way too close to real intimacy. Catra simply couldn’t deal with that, not when all she was looking for was a good, hard pounding. She tore open the protection with her teeth before reaching a hand below her to roll it onto the strap. Adora gave a lusty sigh as her fingers slipped it down to the base. She hated that she sort of enjoyed the action, lashing out against the flood of heat that came from wrapping Adora’s hard cock up before it would fuck her soundly. “Ugh, shouldn’t you be doing this? It’s all slippery and gross.” 

“Lubed, babe.” Adora reached a hand around, fingers lightly dragging against the lacy thong that barely covered Catra’s aching pussy. She snickered at the damp fabric. “Looks like we won’t need it, though. Is all that for me?” She pressed a little more firmly, though fingers barely grazed Catra’s clit. One small whine escaped her lips, before being savagely bitten off by the stubborn willfulness of someone wanting to hide how turned on she really was. 

With great control, Catra muttered out. “Is gagging also part of your kinks? Because I’d really like to get you to shut up and I think physical restraint might be the only way.”

“Aww, thanks for checking in! Mmmm, you can use those cute little panties if you really want.” Adora snapped the waistband of Catra’s thong, chuckling. It was a joke- mostly. Her mouth had already been all up on that beautiful cunt, lapping up the sweetness and driving Catra to the brink with her tongue. Gagging wasn’t normally in her wheelhouse, but hey, what’s life without a little variety? 

“Not an option, because I’m not taking them off for you.” With deft fingers, she pulled the thin fabric to the side, lowering herself down. The reversed position was a little odd for her to angle correctly, but when Adora’s hand came in to try and assist the efforts, Catra swatted it away. “Christ, I can manage. Just, I dunno, play with my tits or something. Be  _ useful _ for once.”

“Oh, yes ma’am, can do!” The blonde reached up and around gleefully. At the same time as she began to massage Catra’s chest, teasing the stiffening peak, Catra lined herself up and worked the shaft into herself. Adora tensed as she watched that tight pussy swallow the length of her, resisting every urge to pull on the other woman’s hips to guide her the rest of the way but figuring the assistance would be met with more venom. Catra wasted no time before rolling herself against the strap, no delay for adjustment needed. She rocked herself without abandon, Adora mesmerized at how readily and eagerly she took the whole thing. “Can I take off your shirt?” She barely breathed out the request, wanting so badly to feel every part of Catra under her hands. 

“If,  _ mmmm _ , it’ll get you to shut up. I’m trying to enjoy myself here.” Catra held up her arms, vaguely annoyed that she’d had to slow down her pace to acquiesce to the blonde’s request. But maybe it would get Adora to start being an active participant in this whole thing; Catra was all about taking what she wanted, but she could get this experience with her own dildo in the privacy of her apartment. If the stupid woman wouldn’t leave her mind, she could at least have the decency to fuck her properly. 

Adora took in the expanse of skin that she was just greeted with, tracing it with her fingertips, once again captivated by the sight of Catra’s body. The woman atop her shivered at her light touches, a small growl escaping her throat. Adora was just giving some serious thought to asking Catra to please switch positions to face her so she could take in all her beauty when her ruminations were interrupted. 

“Jesus, I’m used to having to do all the work when it comes to you, but do you mind putting  _ some _ effort in here?” Catra snapped, turning her head to give the blonde a glare over her shoulder. She had slowed herself down even more, thoroughly annoyed that she was having to give instructions for Adora to actually get around to fucking her. “I thought you were supposed to be good at this!” 

“Oh! Right, right. Fuck…” Adora shook her head clear, focusing on the task at hand finally, and bucked her hips up, feet flat on the floor to give herself some extra drive. She may have been hypnotized by how good Catra’s ass looked as her hips churned around her cock, but her keening wail was more than enough to bring the blonde to action. She slotted both hands down around her partner’s waist, guiding them into a relentless push-and-pull. 

As the pace was set, Catra reached a hand behind her, fisting it into the front of Adora’s shirt to give herself better leverage to grind down in time with Adora’s thrusts up. “ _ Oh _ , god damn that’s good. So, so good. Fuck!” Her breath was ragged and torn; the strap filling her, riding Adora for all she was worth. 

The blonde panted in time with her thrusts, hands gripped tightly around Catra’s hips, pushing them down. Watching this gorgeous woman get stretched out over her, the strap hitting against her own clit in just the best way, she might even come before Catra did- a completely unacceptable event in Adora’s eyes. She did her best to drive even more insistently, wanting to hit every spot just right. Catra leaned back into the motion, her hand moving to the back of Adora’s head to brace herself against the blonde’s chest by sprawling out on the front of her. Adora was granted a full view of her body as they moved together. “Fuck… You’re so beautiful, Catra.” 

It was the first time Adora had ever said her full name, at least when they were in person. Stilted, overly professional correspondence leading up to her stomping to the site certainly didn’t count. Had she not been on another plane, she might admonish the woman for being so bold with her. Instead she just allowed herself this small moment of pretending this could be more than it was and let a full body whine escape, furrowing her brows together. 

One of Adora’s hands moved from her waist to her breast, pinching and playing marvelously at the stiff peak. Catra could not help the sounds that were pulled from her, especially as Adora continued to whisper sweet praise into her ear. The most beautiful woman she’d ever seen, drop dead gorgeous, so sinfully sexy... They were Hallmark compliments, completely lacking in originality, and showed, once and for all, that Adora didn’t have one unique tumbleweed of a thought rolling around the barren wasteland that was her head. 

But damn if Catra didn’t drink up every syllable. She swallowed it with gluttonous rapture, tilting her head back for more, Adora only all too happy to oblige the request by filling in with sweet kisses against her neck and ears. She flinched into and away from the blonde’s mouth, the succor of the woman’s lips far too easy of an addiction. The covetous part of her still greedily took in everything that was offered, begging for it to quench her most sun-scorched parts. She welcomed every platitude, every trite phrase, as if it were part of a new language made in secret just for her. And in that moment, she almost believed it all too. 

“C’mon, Cat,” That name, that familiarity; who was this audacious person that so invaded her mind, giving her things she had taught herself how to survive without? “Come for me, I want to see that beautiful face as you break…”

Instead of complying, she stuttered out. “H-harder.” Adora was all too quick to listen, hips rising out of the chair to meet Catra’s demands. When even that only prompted another choked repetition of the same command, Catra slammed her hands forward, gripping onto the desk in front of her as Adora bent her over. She was certain ten deep gouges had been worn into the top of the desk, but that was the furthest concern from her mind as Adora’s calloused fingers began to rub circles on her clit in time with the pulses of her strap. 

Catra broke first, so relentlessly driven to pleasure by Adora’s strap sliding in and out of her and the woman’s hand working against her. She gave a shuddering cry, churning her hips back to saturate herself in the pure pleasure that had been coaxed from her. She bit into her own arm to muffle the sound as Adora slowed her motions to work her through the final seconds of her release. Catra panted against her arm for a moment, feeling loose and limber as she beat against the walls she had created for herself. Feeling Adora shift to remove herself, Catra choked out, “Adora, wait.”

The blonde froze, though whether it was from the name that rolled off the woman’s lips or the directive she couldn’t say. Catra’s voice, thick with the effort it took to do so, became clearer as she slowly turned herself around. She couldn’t look Adora in the eye as she meekly asked, “You too?” 

“Oh. Oh, no that’s okay. ” It had taken a moment for Adora to catch on but, no. That wasn’t the point of all this, to barter back and forth with one another. “I’m fine really-...”

“Shut up, Grayson. I want you to. Just,” Catra bit her lip, surprised at herself for what came out next. “Be gentle with me, okay?” 

The enormity of the ask stood between them.

Catra spanned the gap, trying to undo some of what she had done. “Besides, just one isn’t really worth  _ my _ time…” She pulled on the woman’s collar, spreading her legs wide to entreat her re-entry, Adora all too happy to meet her.

They lay panting, Catra still sprawled over the top of Adora’s desk and Adora draped above her. It hadn’t taken long, a few thrusting glides and both women came undone within moments of one another. Catra’s claws had threatened to dig into Adora’s shoulders as the blonde finished working herself through, but it was a reflex she resisted. She had spent enough time digging at the woman above her. There were a million things Catra wanted to say in that moment, the foremost being  _ ‘I thought about you all weekend too’.  _ But the longer she lay still, the afterglow slipping away from her, she couldn’t persuade her lips to form the words, asphyxiating at the vibrations that wanted to rumble up her vocal chords. Instead she gently shook off the blonde and dressed in silence.

“Hey, come on. You don’t have to go, not yet…” Adora tried to stop her, but business was business and well, the deal was done. 

As Catra reached the door, she mumbled out, “I’ll get someone out here this afternoon for that pole stake.”

A beat passed. “I have your number, you know. I’m gonna keep trying.” 

The voice behind Catra was quiet, but resolute. She should find it vaguely unsettling, that unwavering determination to sweep past the flimsy boundaries she erected as if they were no more than warning rumblestrips on the highway. Instead she just smiled as she opened the door to leave, because Catra almost believed that too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know y’all came for another dose of electrical work and utility pole talk, but I’m afraid all we got this time is smut. And some Feelings that I swear came out of nowhere! 🤷🤷🤷 Maybe chapter three will just be Catra in her office, rendering 3D models and drawing blueprints. You know. The *good* stuff. 
> 
> I'm kidding about chapter 3, this story is done. Chapter 2 has a much different vibe than 1, but I like it. I did this piece to try and reconnect with the words and feel certain parts I really tapped in well... If anything, always fun to have some desk sex/a nice ride.
> 
> Until next time, folks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... What's that? In the distance... off a ways... but creeping ever closer?
> 
> It couldn't be...
> 
> No...
> 
> Plot?

**Adora (1:37pm):** _ I had a really nice time this morning. _

**Adora (1:37pm):** _Fuck lol. That was lame as hell._

**Adora (1:39pm):** _ True tho _

  
  


**Adora (6:14pm):** _ Maybe since you have tomorrow off too, you could drop by again? _

  
  


**Adora (11:57pm):** _ I’ll be in by 7… _

Truthfully, she hadn’t expected it to be  _ that _ easy. Maybe even a part of her exhilarated in the impending challenge, especially earlier in the day. Now though... Adora allowed herself one disheartened sigh as she turned out her light, but not before first checking to make sure her ringer was turned all the way up. She told herself it was to make sure she heard her alarm since she was going to bed so late, but as she took one last glance at the string of unanswered texts from earlier, just hoping for a read receipt, it was a lot harder to believe her own lies. 

  
  


**Adora (9:22am):** _ Cup of coffee here with your name on it. _

**Adora (9:23am):** _Or a different kind of wake up if you’d prefer… ;)_

**Adora (9:54am):** _ Fuck that was rude. I mean, I know we enjoyed ourselves last Friday and yesterday but I don’t want you to think that’s all I’m after from you.  _

**Adora (10:00am):** _ At least I enjoyed myself. A lot.  _

**Adora (11:16am):** _ Maybe we could grab a drink sometime? _

“Jesus, boss, would you watch it with that?” Lonnie complained, ducking low to narrowly avoid being smacked in the head with a Hastings rod. “Fucking hell, who let you outta the office? You’ve been off all fucking week and I’m sick of putting up with it. Having to pick up your slack and shit.”

Adora’s hands wrapped around the instrument tightly, a flash of heat rising in her chest. She gave her crew a lot of leeway; she wanted to create a space where people felt like real people when they came to work, but Lonnie had quite the pair to be coming at her like that. As she opened her mouth to inform her worker who exactly was in charge around here, Adora quickly realized the woman had a point. Sure a smack upside the head on accident probably wouldn’t be cause for a formal incident report, but it was still sloppy. “Just take the damn measurements, make sure the midspan height’s not in violation.” She shoved the 40 foot measuring device in her worker’s arms as she stomped back to her trailer.

Out of habit, she checked her phone as she settled in front of her desk, trying to ignore the ten small divets that had been driven into the once pristine wood. No new messages; it wasn’t a surprise in the slightest, but damn if it all hadn’t started to wear a bit. 

Two weeks to the day since Catra had first let herself into her office, bent out of shape about a midspan pole. Jobs like this one really didn’t usually take this long, but the late start at the beginning really had slowed things down. And though her crew was good and beyond competent, Catra had been correct in her identification of the primary size once they’d gotten someone up there to get the existing lines attached to the new pole. Which meant that Adora needed to order all new parts, delaying things even further. 

She thought for sure that text would be the one to merit a response; who doesn’t like to hear that they were right about something? But nothing, not a damn word, only that mocking note of  _ ‘Delivered’ _ . Adora glanced at her other most recent attempts; one made early last week:

**Adora (2:48pm):** _ Found that missing stake while we were planting the new pole lol oops think a lawn mower got it, it was pretty torn up.  _

And then just this morning:

**Adora (7:53am):** _ hey _

She told herself after this one, just a simple and stark greeting, that would be it. For a little while, at least, she wasn’t kidding when she told Catra that she was going to keep trying. While Adora was one to believe that persistence paid off, she also had her limits. So  _ many _ unanswered messages, job-related email correspondence that received the barest, most clipped of responses (the latest one to inform her that all future questions could be directed to Catra’s supervisor), and one poorly-decided upon phone call that was sent immediately to voicemail was enough for Adora to agree with herself that new tactics would need to be implemented. What exactly that would entail she wasn’t sure yet, hence the break to regroup and adjust accordingly. 

The rest of Adora’s work day passed by without incident; she kept herself busy inside her office with invoicing for the rest of the morning, glad when Kyle came to report that the job was finally finished. She helped her team clean up the site and released them for a long weekend, with a promise that by Monday evening they would have their next work location. She had a number of jobs lined up for them throughout the state, but would need the weekend and Monday to narrow down priority and assignment. For tonight, however, she would rest. And think. Definitely think.

Rest took the form of ordering takeout from her favorite bar and fixing herself a large whiskey and ginger. She did a few pitiful runs in Hades ( Theseus could kiss her ass; Asterius deserved so much better than him) but not even the desire to reunite Patroclus and Achilles in the Underworld could really draw her attention in for long. The group text chat was blowing up, but Adora really wasn’t in the mood for her friend’s antics. Perfuma was gushing about something to do with her anniversary with her girlfriend, exactly what was happening she couldn’t say for sure, the pair celebrated so many random anniversaries that it was hard to follow, and Bow was trying to entice people into a game of Among Us. A riveting Friday night.

If Adora had any sense she would just call it for the day, try again with this thing called life in the morning. She really hadn’t been to bed before midnight once this week (these past weeks, if she were to be honest with herself) and it was already pushing 11:00. Glancing at her empty glass on the coffee table surrounded by the boxes from her dinner, she waved off cleaning it up until Saturday chores. Adora did take the time to wash her face and brush her teeth before settling under the covers.

She almost didn’t even bother to open her eyes to check her phone when the text came through. She just assumed that it was her friends going on about something or other in the group chat, until Adora recalled that she had muted it for the night. Even though it most likely Bow trying once again to convince her to play a game that she was truly terrible at, the fact he had chosen to text her directly at least deserved a ‘ _ Going to bed, leave me alone. <3’ _

She immediately dropped her phone on her face when she saw who it actually was. 

**Catra (12:08am):** _ hey adora.  _

**Adora (12:10am):** _ OMg hi!! _

Adora cursed herself for the overzealous, not to mention mistyped, greeting. There was no saving this but at least she was astute enough to realize that sending a barrage of corrections and apologies would only make it all the more likely that Catra wouldn’t give any follow up messages. She needed to tread lightly, be as cool and collected as her gay panic would allow. 

Running her tongue over her now sore lip, Adora watched as the three bubbles appeared, then disappeared, then appeared again before:

**Catra (12:13am):** _ wyd _

What was she doing? It was after midnight on a day she’d worked a job that required her to be on her feet, usually while doing heavy amounts of physical labor. Okay, fine, maybe today actually turned out to be a desk day with some light clean up at the end, but it was still late as hell for goodness’ sake! Before Catra had entered the picture (if one could truly say she was “in” the picture, but Adora was trying, dammit), it was a good night if the blonde was still awake at 10pm. Sleep had been eluding her as of late and the reason for it was finally texting her back. 

**Adora (12:14am):** _ Uh, nothing much. You? _

**Catra (12:18am):** _ same _

**Adora (12:20am):** _ Cool.  _

**Adora (12:20am):** _ So what’s up? _

Adora couldn’t believe her own redundancy. As if the captivating wyd conversation hadn’t already broached the subject, that ‘what’s up’ just slipped out, barely giving the other woman any time to add to the thread of her own accord. 

**Catra (12:27am):** _ drink 2moro nite at the crimson waste _

**Adora (12:28am):** _ Is that a question or a statement? _

**Catra (12:30am): 🖕🏽** _ just shut up n b ther  _

**Catra (12:30am):** _ 10p _

Adora’s text had been an honest to goodness question; she really couldn’t figure out the woman’s intent. But she supposed there was her answer.

**Adora (12:31am):** _ Okay! See you then! Can’t wait! _

**Adora (12:35am):** _ And good night! :) _

A date. Finally. Adora couldn’t believe her luck; mere hours after she made the agreement with herself to step back and let the situation have time to breathe, things gained some traction. She was almost too excited to sleep, back to her days in high school just hoping for a 3am text from some cutie. No more came from this particular beauty, but that really wasn’t too surprising. Catra had finally responded  _ and _ proposed meeting up! Things really couldn’t get any better. Adora fell asleep with a huge grin on her face.

The following night couldn’t arrive fast enough. Adora did her best to keep herself occupied through the day; Saturday mornings were for mundane things like cleaning and groceries and the afternoons she usually spent on the bench with a multitude of reps and curls. It was harder to focus on those tasks when she was staring down the clock, willing it to move faster, but after making dinner and zoning out to some mindless TV, it was finally time to get ready. She dressed herself in a simple white button down, forgoing the tie but making sure her chinos were freshly pressed. Cognac wingtips completed the outfit and she spent an embarrassing amount of time making sure her hair fell just right, looking suitably effortless and carefree despite all her attention to it. Adora wasn’t familiar with The Crimson Waste, but with a name like that it wasn’t really difficult to pinpoint on Google. It ended up being a bit of a hike away so she was glad that in her excitement that she had gotten dressed rather early. She would have plenty of time to get there, get a table, and wait for Catra to arrive.

Adora gave a cursory nod to the person checking IDs at the door, flashing her own but getting an immediate wave to go inside. Graffiti, random scrawling, and stickers from various bands lined the walls of the hallway that led her to the dimly lit bar area. Even though smoking had been banned in bars for ages, there just seemed to be a permanent stench of tar and nicotine in the air, so many cigarettes smoked in the past that it had seeped into the walls themselves. The floors were dingy, scuffed to hell by the heavy tread of barflys, and one tile was stained with something Adora really couldn’t readily recognize but very well could have been blood. An unfriendly visage looked her over from behind the bar before going back to wiping a glass with a towel that maybe had been laundered once in the past year.

This… was not what she had been anticipating. Maybe she should have read a review or two, looked at a single picture, because she stuck out like no other. She couldn’t believe this is where Catra chose to spend her free time, let alone where she would invite Adora out to. Adora didn’t like to think of herself as prissy, but she was glad she was up to date in her vaccinations, because one sip from a glass here was bound to carry a whole host of terrifying organisms. 

“Hey, Adora.” That raspy voice she had been craving for weeks cut through the din of the dive.

Intrinsically, Adora turned towards the source, the tips of ears burning. So much for her plan of scoring a table early; Catra was already seated at the bar, beer bottle in hand (at least she had the sense to drink from something that had come sealed), looking roguishly beautiful in her dark, ripped leggings and tight maroon leather jacket. The sight made Adora a little weak at the knees, but she compensated for it by settling herself into a stool next to where Catra was perched. “H-hey, yourself!”

The brunette rolled her eyes at the squeaky greeting, taking a long chug of her beer. It was hard to say whether it was the general vibe of the bar or just the weirdness of being in each other’s presence again, but the few moments of silence that spanned their greeting seemed to stretch into perpetuem. Catra allowed herself one glance of Adora’s neat form before speaking. “Wow, you are way too dressed up for this place.” She scoffed into her bottle, arching a brow with a quirk of her lips. “You think this was a date or something?”

As if things didn’t feel fucking awkward enough, that certainly settled it. It crossed her mind to lie, to try to save face in this situation where she felt like the butt of a very mean joke, but even the most smooth talker in the world would have trouble explaining why she was dressed smart at 10 o’clock on a Saturday night, knowing she was on her way to meet a person she’d hooked up with a couple times. It took much of her strength to do it, but Adora swallowed her pride, giving a small shrug to soften the blow to her ego. “I mean… kind of?”

Catra looked away from Adora’s direction, taking the opportunity to glare at a nebby patron a few stools down who had been watching their exchange. Sure the blonde was just embarrassing herself, but that was Catra’s delight to revel in, no one else’s. After another moment’s pause, Catra set her almost drained bottle down on the counter before lounging with her head held in her arm. Despite her relaxed pose, her words were precise and cutting. “Grayson, I was texting you after midnight on a Friday. I used ‘wyd’. I invited you to the  _ Crimson Waste  _ for fuck’s sake! What part of that doesn’t scream “booty-call” to you?”

“How about the part where you invited me out for a drink, instead of just to come over?” The blonde was sure she had her here. Netflix and Chill, Hulu and Hang, Amazon Prime and Bedtime... They all had a theme and it did not involve getting a drink together beforehand. 

“Idiot. Like I’d ever let you know where I live.” The brunette scowled at the increasingly cutesy ways to say “Get over here and fuck me” which in retrospect is exactly what she should have said to prevent this embarrassment. Not that she was particularly bothered herself, but if all this went to the dummy’s head and prevented her from being screwed properly… She drained the last of her beer in one long gulp. Though it might be sealing her fate, Catra still couldn’t help but ask, “And what the fuck kind of date starts at 10pm?”

Adora sat with herself a moment, frowning slightly at the other woman. Yeah, she had to admit the signs were there. She mumbled out, “Lemme buy you a drink then, at least.” Maybe it wasn’t a date-date, but she could at least be courteous.

“Had one already. Not why I’m here.”

“I know why you’re here and you’re gonna get what you want. But not before I do first.” The blonde nodded her head towards the bartender, grabbing his attention. The steel glint to her eyes must have warned the staff member to not try and fuck with her by pretending he hadn’t seen. He begrudgingly shuffled over to take their drink order. Adora stared straight ahead. “You’ll have a drink with me.” It wasn’t a question. “Then I’ll take you home.” 

Catra had choices, just as everyone did in life. She could cut her loses, tell Adora to shove it. Maybe find some other willing participant for her evening. But with that resolute tone and that promise… What other choice did she  _ truly _ have?

Adora held true to her word. After one drink shared between the two, she gave a lazy smile. “You ready to get out of here?” She saw the woman’s tail flick once behind her, two-toned eyes looking down at the bottle she’d been sipping from for nearly the past hour and a half as if she were the first to be surprised to see that it was empty.

Catra got a hold of herself and nodded. “Finally, god. I just finished the stupid beer you made me get, so we can get on with this night already.”

Adora placed a few bills on the counter to cover the damages. She considered pointing out that the other woman’s bottle had been drained some time ago, but figured it was best to not push her luck too much. “Sure thing. Where to?”

She led the blonde around to the side of the bar, more pulling than guiding. Adora wasn’t super familiar with the area, but figured the parking lot Catra must be in was down this way. It seemed like the woman had been warming up to her inside, so it was possible she wanted to get even closer in the relative privacy of her car. Suited Adora just fine; she could be aptly nimble when the situation called for it.

“Hope you were at least smart enough to come packing…” Catra muttered, taking an abrupt turn between two buildings before stopping.

“I already told you, I’m almost always packing.” Adora answered as she looked around at their surroundings. The pair stared at one another for a moment, before Adora was shaking her head in disbelief. “Seriously? Here?” 

The brunette shrugged. “I told you I wasn’t gonna let you know where I lived.”

“So a dim alley is your top choice? Jesus Christ, woman. _ I _ have a bed! And I don’t care if you know where I live.”  _ Actually, if it kept us out of places like this and the Waste, I’d prefer it. _ She continued to look around a little unhappily, consoled at least that there didn’t seem to be trash cans or dumpsters nearby. That would have been just too much for her. If she had to hazard a guess, she’d say that they looked to be by the back exit of an old theater.

“Didn’t hear you offering that the last two times we got together.” Catra would be lying if she said Adora’s priggish discomfort over this whole scenario wasn’t greatly amusing to her. The woman had lifted her onto her shoulders within minutes of them meeting face to face for the first time, but a late night tryst behind a building was suddenly too much for her? That wasn’t her motivation for leading them back to this spot, but it was a nice bonus. 

The blonde snorted. “That was different and you know it. I’m all for fucking you, but once again, how about we go back to mine?” 

It was tempting, Catra had to admit. But her need for this to be as far away from how things had been the last time they’d gotten together was much more pressing. Wanting the other woman to finish, no less while  _ in _ her, had been way too real, the ache it had left behind in these weeks too sharp. And then tonight, where despite her most barbed comments and clipped replies she still somehow found herself legitimately  _ laughing _ over whatever dumb topic Adora had chosen to ramble about? She’d been out way longer than she anticipated and that was before they even had sex! Really, Catra had been driven to this point. It couldn’t be nice. It wouldn’t be sweet. She needed something quick and dirty and for the blonde to just go with it for however long it took. Catra leaned against a nearby wall, crossing her arms over her chest. “Wow. You too good for this, Grayson?” 

“It’s not a question of being too “good” for this, I just…” 

“Sorry this doesn’t fit  _ your _ idea of romance,” Catra squashed down the tiny flutter of nerves at the word, gagging to cover herself for being stupid enough to let that slip through, “No desk to bend me over, I know, but it’s what I’m offering for the night. Take it or leave it. I’m sure there’s plenty of people willing to eat me out back at the bar... wherever I damn well say.” 

“You’d really let just anyone do that to you, huh?”

It wasn’t true, not by a long shot. Catra kept to herself for the most part, but she couldn’t let Adora think she was special or anything. She scoffed loudly as she answered. “Think I already proved that, didn’t I? Considering I let some brainless meathead take me behind a shack. And she wasn’t fucking whiny about it like you’re being over this whole thing.” 

Adora growled- actually audibly  _ growled _ , at the insult. Catra thought that she was being whiny; that it was unreasonable for her to suggest that they fuck in a bed or a car? It was beyond frustrating, all the more so that despite her growing vexation… All Adora wanted to do was feel Catra break around her once more. She’d spent these past weeks dreaming about kissing her lips again, feeling Catra’s soft fur below her fingers as her hands traced her body, teasing, riling, and bringing out the most absolutely filthy noises from the woman as she was soundly fucked by her. And Adora knew that Catra wanted the exact same thing, but her stubborn pride loved to make things difficult. That much was so apparent even in the short time they’d spent together. 

So if this is what it took to satisfy their mutual want, Adora would play ball. She would step up and show Catra what’s what. Before she could take the time to really formulate her reply, Adora found herself already speaking, completely off the cuff. “You know what? Fine. Fine, we’ll do it here, just like you want. If you wanna be no better than some back alley slut, then who am I to…” The blonde clamped her mouth shut tight, eyes going wide as she realized what she had said. 

The feline woman stilled, regarding Adora sharply. With dangerous grace, she was suddenly squared up in front of the blonde, eyes narrowed into slits. Adora braced herself, knowing that a punch was coming- and completely deserved. Instead Catra continued to search her face, a flurry of reactions Adora couldn’t readily recognize glinting in the back of her eye. When she finally spoke, Catra’s tone was low and gravely, with a definite challenging lilt. “Say that to me again.”

“Catra, I’m sorry, I-“ Adora scrambled to apologize, not believing such a derogatory word would leave her lips, especially towards the person she’d been so sprung over lately. Not that it would be any better if she wasn’t crushing on Catra, that kind of language was just uncalled for. How did this happen? This was so far from how she wanted the night to go.

“Say it again _...”  _ Catra leaned forward, making the blonde want to do nothing else but step back. Adora stayed rooted though, ready to accept whatever retaliation the other woman had in store for her. Catra began by raising a hand, fisting it into the front of Adora’s shirt. She held that tight grip as she spat out between clenched teeth, “Say it and I’ll come  _ real  _ hard _. _ ” 

Adora was paralyzed at hearing her own words from weeks prior thrown back at her, particularly when they were delivered with a bite that only Catra could provide. As she stared, mute, the feline woman released the material of her shirt from her hand. She traced a single claw tip down Adora’s chest, with one flick neatly paring off a button as she went. Adora swallowed thickly, trying to catch up to this turn of events. It was a slow realization, but potent; things were back on track, back to where it always led between them. 

Catra did not give her an opportunity to ask questions. Her hands moved from the front of Adora’s shirt to the small of her back, loosely roping around her torso. The woman leaned in close, tilting her head up so she could breath into the blonde’s ear. “Mmmm… good job, Grayson. Looks like you uncovered one of  _ my _ kinks.” She bit down lightly on the shell of Adora’s ear, moaning softly as Adora’s hands slotted over her hips in reply. “I’ll be your slut tonight. Do whatever you want.”

“Catra…” Adora groaned with a gasp as the woman’s mouth worked its ways down her jawline, pricks of her sharp fangs mixed with fluttering laps of her tongue making it damn near impossible to concentrate. She’d sampled a variety of likes over the years, but degradation through names? Before this moment Adora would have chalked that one up as ‘only in pornos’. But at how obviously turned on the other woman was, how she was now frantically pressing hard kisses down her neck, claws digging into her back just hard enough to make her presence  _ very _ well known... Adora closed her eyes as the woman’s hands and mouth roved over her so incessantly, before pulling herself away. She stepped back, panting to regain her composure.

“Don’t ruin this for me.” The brunette pleaded, trying to hold on to the retreating body in front of her. Too much, she knew it would be too much, but plowed ahead anyway. She’d only ever admitted this particular like once before and was met with uneasy participation from that partner (coincidence that the arrangement had fizzled out shortly after, the woman ghosting her? Hard to say). Catra had thought with Adora’s casual confession of enjoying being  _ choked _ and  _ restrained _ that the blonde wouldn’t even blink at the request for power play and pejorative talk. Maybe that was part of it, Catra really hadn’t played ball with anything Adora had suggested, never paid any mind when the blonde said loud and clear, “This is what I like.” She didn’t seem like the vindictive type, but who knew. “I know that we didn’t do your stuff before but I want…”

“Of course you want.” Adora’s large hand grabbed Catra’s chin, pulling it up so they were eye to eye. They stayed like that for several breaths, Catra’s heart beginning to beat faster as those icy blue eyes regarded her. Just when she didn’t think she would be able to take it anymore, Adora spoke again, entirely calm. “You’re so desperate for me, aren’t you? Just a needy little sl…” 

With an almost unconscionable fervor, Catra surged forward even before Adora could finish her sentence, not wanting to give the blonde any opportunity to change her mind. She moaned readily into the open mouth around her, as hands cupped her waist, bringing her in tighter. 

They indulged themselves for a while, Adora steadily taking charge with her lips, teeth, and tongue. She once again just barely stepped back, a soft whine falling from the brunette’s mouth as any amount of space entered between them. The blonde quietly dragged a thumb down Catra’s kiss bitten lips, watching with a crooked smile as her eyes shuddered close. The very tip of Catra’s tongue ran across as it rested there. Adora suppressed a groan of delight, inspired by the motion. Her voice was thick as she instructed, “On your knees.” 

An embarrassing whine escaped her lips at the command. Catra could feel her flush everywhere, coiling low in her abdomen, every kiss and pull of the blonde’s hands on her just making her wild. With no delay, she lowered herself down, pressing a few hasty kisses to the woman’s stomach as she moved. The ground was cold as she kissed her knees to the pavement, making her shiver.

Adora caught the reaction, immediately moving to take off her button up; to hell if it was white. She had a million more just like it hanging in her closet. “Here, your knees, just…” It wouldn’t be much in the way of padding, but it had to be better than the concrete. 

Before she could remove it fully, a hand shot up, grasping tight in hers. Catra’s head was trained to the ground as she spoke. “No. I like it.”

The blonde shrugged her shirt back on slowly, regarding the woman positioned below her. If that was truly her choice… “All right. I think you know that I want that pretty little mouth of yours on me. Head up when I’m speaking to you.” Catra obeyed, lifting her chin up. Her eyes immediately locked to the bulge in Adora’s pants, drooling at what lay underneath the toy and at the prospect of finally getting to taste this woman. She nodded, letting go of the hand that had been laced in the blonde’s to unbuckle the woman’s belt. Adora sighed at the cogent action, breathing out a “Good girl” as she felt her zipper slide down.

The night air was a little chilly on Adora’s bare legs as they dropped down around her ankles. She was glad that she had opted for the boxer briefs with the sewn in O-ring rather than the traditional harness; the material clung to her thighs and warded off the worst of the chill. The strap was tucked, but Adora made no move to reposition it, wanting to feel Catra take it out for her before sucking her off. She was anything but cold once she felt Catra’s hands ghost across her thighs, the flickers of heat rising up deep in her abdomen. Fingers reached up towards her hips, trailing along the waistband of her underwear. Adora felt her breath catch in her throat. It was amazing to have the woman’s hands on her, exploring, even if she was anxious for Catra to stop the teasing and get to it already. She was just about to issue that direction when she felt fingers hook under the waistband of her boxers and begin to tug down. Adora panicked a little, not expecting Catra to try to remove her underwear. The other woman must not be familiar with this kind of harness. “H-Hey? Uh, that’s not really necessary this time. See...” Adora had wanted to demonstrate how easy this particular harness type was to work with, no annoying straps to wiggle through, just pull them on and you’re good to go. She took a step back to allow Catra to see better, but nearly tripped over her own pants in the process. So much for being sexy and in charge. 

Catra huffed in confusion, more than a little sick of seeing Adora step away from her every time they started to get somewhere good tonight. She couldn’t even bring herself to laugh at the idiot’s inherent clumsiness. This hookup was really turning into a fuckton of time and effort. Here she was ready to do something  _ nice _ for the woman even before Catra got any herself. Yeah, it was a little annoying to do the switch and have to shuffle out of the harness to get there, but that was just one of the few downsides of lesbianism. Catra would definitely make it all worth it in the end. “Not necessary? Jesus, Grayson. Hard to get my ‘pretty little mouth’ on that pussy if you’re still wearing...” She trailed off as she saw Adora shaking her head with wide eyes, embarrassment and dread landing squarely in her stomach at the reaction her words had garnered. 

“Ah, heh. I, uh, don’t really let anyone do that.” Adora scratched at the back of her head with supreme awkwardness. She witnessed Catra hug herself a little, shifting on the ground to put some life back into her knees. Adora rushed to try to repair any damage that might have been inflicted from this unforeseen pause in activity. “It’s a ‘me’ thing, not a you or anyone else thing, I swear! It’s just, um, a lot for me?” She winced as Catra started to rise, unwilling or unable to meet the blonde’s eye. Adora gave a fortifying inhale and pressed on with her explanation, hoping to salvage this night. “I’m incredibly sensitive so even what I can feel through a strap is usually way more than enough for me. Weird that I’d even want anything there on a regular basis then, right?” She tried to shrug off her discomfort, not really thinking this disastrous meet-up was the time to discuss the intricacies of gender expression, especially when she herself hadn’t spent much time on the issue privately. Catra really didn’t need her to get into all of that. “It just feels better. I dunno.” 

Catra nodded absently, her gaze intently focused on the ground. Her brows were furrowed together, and much to Adora’s distress, she looked more than a little pissed off. 

Adora grimaced at the expression, scratching at her arm, very aware of the fact her pants were still down around her ankles. She should probably change that in light of everything. “... Did I ruin the mood?”

“Pretty sure if you have to ask, you already know the answer.” The woman murmured, tail firmly wrapped around her own waist, arms drawn across her chest.

Adora groaned, wanting to smack her head repeatedly into any of the walls that surrounded them. Instead she hastily pulled up her pants, berating herself and the situation she found herself in. Just great. Assume a casual meet up for sex is a date? Check. Insult said not-date with a pejorative term, but actually discover that she’s turned on by it? Done. When things start to get friendly from said discovery, freak her out with one of your own dumb hangups? A big, fat awful checkmark on that one too. 

Catra seemed to argue with herself a moment before biting her lip and finally making eye contact with the blonde. She frowned slightly, then muttered. “But you didn’t ruin it, dummy. I made an assumption which, considering the last two times we banged, was actually kind of stupid of me.”

“What? No, Cat, you aren’t stupid-...”

“You’ve said multiple times that you’re always packing. You about creamed into my hand the minute I jerked the strap through your jeans, and managed to come just by fucking me with it. It really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that you like to be sucked off too.” The brunette finished with a shrug. Adora gaped, at a loss for a fitting reply. Fortunately she didn’t need to give one as Catra continued speaking. “You’re super into your strap, Grayson. It’s fine. Haven’t done that before but honestly? At least your shit’s tame. Lots of sick fucks out there into weird ass stuff.”

“Uhhhh, thanks?” The blonde blinked, again awkwardly running a hand along the back of her head. 

“And I guess since you did my thing, I’m down to do yours. I did tell you I’d do whatever you wanted tonight.” The corner of Catra’s mouth ticked up, before she motioned back towards the way they came with a flick of her head. “But the ground is fucking cold and my knees are already killing me, so c’mon.”

“Come on… where?” Adora was at a loss as to what was happening now, staring at Catra with wide eyes, just trying to buy a vowel. She had a hunch, but honestly things had been so all over the place here in the alley, Adora just wanted to be absolutely certain there were no further misunderstandings.

“Ughhh, can’t believe I have to spell it out for you. Is it still road head if no one's driving?” The brunette pressed two fingers into the bridge of her nose, eyes scrunched tight. “Why the fuck am I even worried about that right now? Jesus Christ. Just fucking follow me to my car, moron.”

“You need to  _ relax. _ ” Catra moved so she was straddled across Adora’s lap. The blonde had been downright fidgety ever since they found themselves in the backseat of Adora’s truck, which ended up being parked closer to them than Catra’s car. Adora had fussed outside the vehicle, hesitating as she tried to decide if they should get into the front seat or the back, weighing the merits of each, and internally debating what would be most comfortable all around for them both. Catra put up with the delay for about twenty seconds, tapping her foot against the ground as she waited, before throwing open the door to the rear part of the cab with a heavy, aggrieved sigh. She growled to Adora that she was getting drier by the second and called for the idiot to just get her ass into the truck already. 

What the hell happened to the stud who had so casually inquired whether they were “doing this” and so expertly railed her from behind in her office chair? It was a damn good thing Catra knew Adora was a good fuck, because there was no way she’d be putting up with this shit otherwise. She jabbed an accusing finger in the middle of the blonde’s chest, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What the fuck has you so nervous? I swear, if this actually is the first time you’re getting head like this...” 

“No! No, definitely not. Just, I dunno. Don’t want you to feel like you  _ have _ to do this for me…” Adora answered meekly, heart rate speeding up ever so slightly. Though for the life of her, she couldn’t tell if it was because she had a beautiful, sexy woman in her lap or if it was from the last remnants of their conversation in the alleyway.

“Jesus, Grayson. Shut the fuck up. Just, here-...” Catra lifted one of Adora’s large hands and placed it against her tit, encouraging the woman’s fingers to move against her. 

Adora immediately cracked a smile at the feel of Catra under her hand, especially when she was rewarded with a few breathy pants of appreciation for her work. It was probably silly, but she felt grounded by the action, having something tangible (and hot, don’t forget very hot) to focus on. She was still feeling a little embarrassed over everything, a bit guilty about the fact she wouldn’t just let herself get eaten out. What kind of lesbian...

“Better?” Catra interrupted her thoughts, the blonde shifting her concentration back to the matter under hand and nodding vigorously at the question. “Good, because this has been one weird night and I’m ready to finally get what the hell I came here for.”

Adora gave a little chuckle of agreement, shoving aside her awkwardness for the time being, and pinching at the woman’s nipple over her shirt. Catra squeaked at the sudden change in pressure, the sound quickly turning into an irritated huff. Adora couldn’t help but grin at the noise. “Me? Yeah, I know that’s what you’ve wanted all night.”

“Not  _ you _ .” The magicat’s tail wrapped around Adora’s wrist, as she positioned herself over the blonde’s thigh.  _ Guess fucking brings out the ego,  _ Catra thought bitterly, entirely unimpressed by the woman’s lack of creativity in her motivations. Of course, it certainly beat the Adora that was paralyzed with anxiety and put way too much thought into every little damn detail. She’d just need to put the smug side of this woman in her place. “You’re a convenience, nothing more. In fact, with the absolute pain in my ass you’ve been tonight, you’re not even that.” Catra rolled her hips down hard, the firmness of Adora’s thigh pressing into her exquisitely, instantly reigniting her desire. She suppressed the urge to moan as she rocked herself down again. “You better give it to me good to make up for all the shit that’s happened.”

“Oh, gladly.” Adora promised, raising her leg and spreading her fingers wide to encircle Catra’s hips. “I know things got kinda weird-...”

“Nope! No talking.” Catra slapped a hand over the blonde’s mouth, surprised by, and yet not at all, the deep moan the action pulled out of the woman. She rolled her eyes; seriously was the name thing the only kink Adora didn’t have? “I mean it, Grayson. You’re not permitted to speak unless it’s directly related to the sex we’re supposed to be having, and even then,  _ as sparingly as possible _ . I’m really not interested in any more conversation, got it?” Catra glared down at the owner of the leg she was riding, glad when she received a silent nod of agreement. As an afterthought she added, “Don’t forget what we discussed about my likes in the alley. But you better be smart enough to know when the right time to use it is.” Catra could feel Adora’s smirk against her palm.

Satisfied that the blonde understood the conditions of their arrangement, Catra dropped her hand from where it had been covering Adora’s mouth in favor of gripping her shoulders to give herself better purchase as she grinded down on her thigh. She wasn’t looking to get off this way, just wanted a little entertainment for herself before following through on her part of the deal. Catra closed her eyes and let the lower half of herself move, breathing heavy when the right pace was reached. Her hands continued to grasp onto the corded muscles of the blonde’s shoulders, claws digging in a little as Adora gave a particularly fantastic thrust upwards of her thigh. The moan that ripped through her mouth was downright filthy, but it just felt so fucking good. Even with her own still clamped tightly shut, Catra could feel the other woman’s eyes on her, watching her face with reckless wonder, but she really had no time for any of that nonsense.

She continued to ride against the firm leg, working herself up quite thoroughly. Adora’s quickened breath matched the huff of her own as they moved in tandem. While she still had the ability to do so, she abruptly stopped her roll, inhaling sharply at the loss of pressure as she moved from Adora’s lap. The blonde tried to keep her in place, grasping on to her hips and pulling her back into position, but Catra swatted at her hands, twisting away. Adora released her at that point, trying to mask her hurt and confusion. She wanted to ask why the brunette had stopped grinding on her, but while it was related to sex, she had a strong feeling that would violate their no talking agreement. Before she could come up with a sultry way of checking in with the other woman, she felt hands near the fly of her pants. “ _ Oh… _ ” Adora breathed out, lips parting, and eyes widening at the sound of her zipper being lowered.

“What, did you think I forgot?” Catra snarked, nimble fingers deftly freeing the toy from the confines of the fabric harness. She noted that this strap was considerably larger than the one from weeks ago; a stirring prospect once it was buried in her cunt, but Adora had better let go of any fantasies of being deepthroated on this thing. 

“Umm, no? Maybe? I mean, it would be fine if you haa _ aa _ …” Adora was stopped short by a hand once again covering her mouth, tips of Catra’s claws lightly pressing into her cheeks as she blocked the sound of the blonde’s voice from finishing her tumbling thought. The magicat gave her one hard stare, baring a single fang in a warning that clearly said Adora would not get another chance if she did not strictly adhere to the terms of their engagement.

Relatively assured that the idiot understood that she really meant  _ no talking _ , Catra impassively regarded the length before her. She was super fucking gay, so obviously it was more than a little stirring to see a strap protruding from a handsome woman’s lap. It felt a little odd to be lowering her face down instead of her pussy, but she couldn’t deny that the whimpers that came from the blonde were making her feel powerful as fuck. A bit surprising for what could be considered a subservient position, but it was Catra who would dictate exactly how much and for how long Adora would get to enjoy her. Fortified by just how much control she had in this situation, Catra placed her lips around the strap, her tongue tentatively dipping out to lick at the tip. It had no taste, not that she had really been expecting one. She mostly just felt the pressure of the item as she worked a little more of it into her mouth. It was neither good nor bad, which she could live with for now.

There was no question how Adora felt about the whole thing, gasping from the moment Catra’s mouth even approached the strap. It was flattering in a way; the magicat really doubted the woman could feel much of anything, the flicks of her tongue were far too delicate at this point, her mouth still as she adjusted to the new activity. But no one would be able to tell from the enthusiastic groans her ginger ministrations were receiving. Catra chalked it up to a mental thing more than a physical one; the psychological side of sex really couldn’t be discounted.

Of course, if Adora was enjoying this so much, what would the response be if Catra…

“Oh god, Catra…!” Adora sighed out, watching the woman pick up some speed against her. She tentatively raised her hand, hesitating only for a second, before threading it through Catra’s hair. She didn’t dare attempt to guide Catra’s head, the fiery magicat wouldn’t likely take too kindly to that, but gently combed her fingers through it, mindful to not tug on the silky curls by accident. She watched, utterly captivated by the sheer eroticism of the scene. “You look so beautiful like this…”

The answering hum of approval at the words was quickly lost as Catra wrapped her hand around the base of the toy, tongue still licking in circles towards the tip. She heard Adora inhale sharply at the new pressure closest to her, a shuddering sigh was her exhale. If the blonde thought that was good... She slowly stroked her hand down as she sucked, making damn certain the action would be felt. Adora’s hips stuttered upwards, fingers curling into Catra’s hair as a reflex to the jolt of pleasure. The magicat internally crowed in delight at the thrust into her mouth and repeated her exaggerated strokes. She was a little surprised at the desire that was being kicked up in her as she performed the actions, emboldened enough by it all to take even more into her mouth.

Catra wasn’t the only one feeling bolstered by her display. From the whine she knew Catra released when her hips had jerked up, Adora very carefully rolled into the other woman’s mouth, back to running her fingers through her hair. She spoke quietly, low and spiced. “Such a good girl for me, sucking me off like that.” She ran a hand down Catra’s cheek as she watched the mouth continue to work around the length, the pulses from the base of the strap hitting her just right. The time also certainly felt right. “A slut hungry for my cock…”  _ Oh. _ That combination definitely did something for Catra. A new flood of heat rose in her core and in turn she found her hand moving even faster to pump against Adora, driving the base into the woman’s clit. Pleasure was definitely building in Adora, and quickly, after being treated to such amazing display and response. Catra could so easily make her come like this, but more important was the desire for Adora to pull the brunette over the edge. 

Her tone was ragged; it was so hard to speak when she was being worked so enthusiastically. “Cat. I need you.” Thick fingers again curled into her hair, just shy of pulling. The brunette paid little mind, a small moan forming at the back of her throat as she continued to bob against the strap, the press of it in her mouth along with the scent of Adora’s desire and deep moans more than enough to keep her enthralled. When Catra didn’t seem to be  _ getting _ it, Adora tugged more insistently, cupping a hand under the woman’s chin to halt her ministrations. “No, I need to  _ feel _ you.”

Catra whined a little at being made to stop, not that she would ever admit to that, but it was quickly cut off when the blonde pulled her back into her lap. Adora pressed a line of hard kisses down her throat, sucking at her pulse point as Catra’s claws dug into the back of her head, encouraging her along. Adora couldn’t wait any longer, not even to let the woman she was intent on fucking shed any clothing. Her hand shot down the front of Catra’s leggings, cupping the wet heat that resided there. The magicat gasped as her large fingers ghosted along the silky texture of her thong, breath coming in short pants as she tried to angle herself down on Adora’s hand and relieve the pressure in her core. Every time she gained purchase, Adora would pull her hand away just enough, the brunette crying out in her frustration.

Adora continued to trace small circles with her middle finger against the soaked fabric, but made no move to alleviate Catra in any other way. She teased up and down the length of her pussy, eyes bright as she watched the near agonized expression on the magicat’s face grow even more pronounced. Sure she wanted, and wanted badly, but Adora wanted to see this woman absolutely wrecked for her more. “So desperate for me. You want me to fuck you, rub that needy clit until you come all over my hand?” A growl and aggressive thrust of her hips down was Catra’s only reply. The blonde clucked her tongue, the hand not currently shoved down the magicat’s leggings wrapping around her waist, easily holding the woman in place and preventing her from gaining any friction. “Hmmmm. That’s not very nice, growling at me like that. But your mouth felt so good, so I guess you deserve this...”

One dexterous twist of her fingers and Adora was moving along the folds of Catra’s slickness, watching intently to hone in on what positions garnered the best responses. She settled into one finger flicking sideways against her clit, interspersed with hard, circular presses that had Catra rocking herself down without abandon, her broken cries filling the car. Adora’s fingers traveled down towards her entrance, swirling to coat them before slipping one in with a gentle push. Catra  _ keened _ at the sensation, arms wrapping around Adora’s head and neck with a choked cry of “More.”

Adora plunged in further at the command, her thumb raising to pad against her clit as she continued to pump into Catra’s tight, silken heat. “You feel so fucking good, Catra.” But the magicat only shook her head, repeating her cry for more. Another finger joined in Adora’s motions, thumb still rubbing as she tried to crook just right in response to the breathy cries of the woman riding her hand. She considered for a moment pausing to pull Catra’s leggings down to fuck her with the strap instead, Adora always felt a little more confident in her ability with that compared to her fingers, but almost as if the woman could read her mind, Catra cried out, “ _ Don’t stop! _ ”

Any thought of doing so quickly disappeared with that insistent command. Instead Adora felt all the more driven to bring Catra to close, to feel the woman break at the touch of her fingers, experience the tightness of her walls clenching as pleasure overtook her. Each thrust was delivered with the purpose of making her feel as utterly good as possible, each swipe of her thumb issued only with the thought of Catra’s enjoyment in mind. Adora’s forearm burned with the cramped position but she reveled in the feeling, knowing it came from her efforts of making Catra an absolutely fucked out mess above her. It was at that moment Adora realized she was enunciating her thoughts out loud, a train of filthy nothings spilling forth to let Catra know without question that she was doing this for her and her alone. That single-minded attention combined with Adora’s fingers crooking just right was all Catra needed to let go, a silent rush overwhelming her body to the point that the word, the  _ name _ , she wanted to scream as she came couldn’t find its way out. As those large, beautifully callous fingers gently worked through the final pulses of her release, Catra knew in that moment... She was good and truly fucked.

After they had finished, Adora slid her hands out from Catra’s leggings, absently wiping them on her own pants. She was surprised when Catra’s legs didn’t immediately untangle themselves from around her waist. Instead the woman clung for a moment longer, head bent into the crook of the blonde’s shoulders as she breathed heavily. Adora’s expression was soft as she traced her fingertips along her lightly furred back, letting the other woman take all the time she needed to come down from her high. When Catra’s breathing had evened and her body was slack, quietly Adora asked, “Are you all done for tonight?” 

Catra took a moment to respond, cursing her weakness for the warm, sturdy press of Adora’s chest against her own. Drawing her eyes tight and biting her lip, she nodded weakly. She was spent, already dreading that she had a twenty-some minute drive home. Catra twisted so her face pointed away from Adora’s neck, but still rested her head against the blonde’s shoulder. “Yeah, I’m done. But you? I don’t think you…”

“Nah, I’m fine. No, really!” Adora was quick to assure the magicat after her head had lifted with some effort to regard her with a raised eyebrow. “What you did for me was more than enough. I, uh, don’t often need to get there myself, so long as my partner does.” It wasn’t a lie or any amount of selflessness on Adora’s part. She was just wired that way.

Catra continued to stare at her, shivering slightly at the word ‘partner’. She decided to give the woman a pass for that faux pas and not argue any further. If Adora wanted to leave here worked up and miserable, that was her own business. Now that she was no longer mind-numbingly turned on, Catra could admit her jaw ached and she really just wanted to crawl into bed for a few hours. 

Adora insisted on walking her back to her car, the pair still adhering to the no talking outside of sex rule that had been established. Fortunately it was a short trip, shorter than they had realized in the heat of things earlier, and before long they were both standing awkwardly outside Catra’s vehicle. It was hard to know exactly what to do in this situation; they really had never given one another a proper goodbye. Adora felt some comfort that Catra wasn’t immediately rushing off, peeling out of the lot in her haste to flee, but nothing she could think to say or do really felt appropriate for their circumstances. Maybe if it had been a date, she would have lost herself in two-toned eyes for a few breathless moments, while holding the woman’s small, soft hand and wishing that it wasn’t time to part ways, not yet, don’t go. Maybe she would have leaned in close, tilted the other woman’s chin up, and brushed her lips against Catra’s own with a promise to text as soon as she got home and as soon as she woke up and all throughout the day until they could see one another again. Maybe...

But it wasn’t.

Instead Adora elected to give a small, friendly wave that would serve in place of the goodbye she might have given. She left the magicat after, determined to not turn her head back to peek, lest she be tempted by the maybes.

If she had looked, maybe she would have seen Catra still standing by her driver’s side door, eyebrows furrowed into a sharp crease, watching as she wordlessly departed from the scene. Maybe if she watched a little longer, she might have seen Catra slump against the car for a moment, holding her head in her hands. Maybe she would have seen Catra take a few steps towards the direction Adora had left in before angrily turning on her heel to get in her car to leave, but that was a lot to hang on a maybe.

Four nights later, after sustained radio silence between the two, Adora sent one more text. 

  
**Adora (7:41pm):** _ wyd _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, sure, if sex is plot, then yeah, plot's on its way! 
> 
> You goobers asked for a full fic and while I make no promises on the longevity or quality... I do aim to please, as always. Ahem.
> 
> This probably should have been split into two chapters as I almost doubled my entire word count with this but I wanted to give y'all the good (and some nice, "Ouch" to boot).
> 
> In theory will be taking a break from the smut for a bit to recharge and refocus so I can finish up The Sleepover, my first fic. (I say in theory because well... I'm me.) You'll probably also catch me updating Her, my music-based spring break shenanigans fic, as I lean into the softer, more humor based side of writing. Wildcat fans, I haven't forgotten, just need to figure a few things out for that poor dear.
> 
> Things might slow a bit in the coming months as I'll also be working on my fic for the Big Bang, in which I'll be collabing on the writing with Itcanprobablysmellfear. If you like beer with a heap of yearning, you'll be happy little gays come May! If you like board games with a mess of pining, you'll be happy little gays come May! Actually, with all the talented people participating in the Big Bang WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE HAPPY LITTLE GAYS COME MAY! YAAAAY!
> 
> Until next time, folks!


	4. Chapter 4

When they had met up again, less than an hour after Adora sent that text, they didn’t even make it into the bar. Just jumped into another round in the back of Adora’s truck. It was quick, it was perfunctory, it was everything Catra had wanted it to be over the weekend. She got her rocks off and didn’t have to sludge through any conversation beforehand. And except for that stupid little wave goodbye that Adora gave again (her head to tilted to one side, shoulder scrunched up and wiggling her wide spread fingers) as they parted ways for the night, it was perfect. 

Just… perfect. 

How could things not be? She had the start of a very good, no-strings-attached thing going, at least if she tried hard enough. Catra would manage. She always did.

At least she felt sated on that front for the time being, and the remainder of her week had the decency to flash by. Maybe the next Monday was a little blue, Tuesday grey and Wednesday too. But she shrugged it off and soldiered on. Life was a constant disappointment, so why would her mental health be any different? These things happened from time to time; Scorpia’s professional Astrology Gay girlfriend would probably tell her Mercury was in retrograde or some shit like that. That it was the perfect time for some powerful self-reflection and to sit with herself to determine what her emotions were really trying to communicate to her. 

Fuck no. 

By Thursday morning though, Catra didn’t even want to start. She laid in bed far later than her normal, only drawn out by the fact she had her fucking bi-weekly Zoom call with all the designers on her project. It was a chance for Netossa to use her best Disappointed Dad voice and for Scorpia, the head of Internal Review, to repeat the same shit as she had two weeks prior. 

“Guys, I know our fielding team can, uh, miss some things out there…” The large woman ran a hand across the back of her neck as she addressed them over the webcam. This new flock of fielders was greener than a head of lettuce and collectively had the brains of one. They neglected to get some of the most basic information necessary for Catra and her peers to do the real work and their inattention to detail was their only consistency. Scorpia continued on, a bright smile replacing her previous wince. “But hey, we can all benefit from a bit of coaching! Which is where the lovely, capable design team comes in. They can’t get better if we don’t talk with them, folks. Send ‘em an email, toss them a kudos, but certainly don’t be afraid to give them pointers and honest feedback. We’ve got a great team here, especially when we all work together!”

Catra snorted into her coffee, rolling her eyes. Literally the same message every call. When she first stepped into the design role, fresh from the field herself, she had been happy to share her new knowledge with the field staff. Designing was a completely different outlook than collecting measurements and scoping out potential tree trimming needs that might interfere with the lines. Not only did it take problem solving skills and a surprising amount of creativity (at least for a job that dealt with a depressing amount of  _ math _ ) but when Catra was assigned a job, it became her problem from start to finish. Whether she wanted it to be or not. 

That being said, even though she was forced to relive the same “This could have been an email” meeting every two weeks, she hadn’t looked back once. Designing sucked, but being forced out into the elements to collect measurements on a pole was a far, far worse fate. She stared at the wall above her laptop, zoning out as Scorpia repeated to the team some information on unique situations that called for down guy installation. Nothing Catra didn’t fucking know already, thanks Scorp. 

Just when she was seconds from passing out from sheer boredom, her phone buzzed. She ignored the flash of excitement that zinged through her stomach at the sound. 

**Adora (9:27 AM):** wyd

**Catra (9:27 AM):** r u fuckn kiddin me rite now

It was 9:30 in the morning on a Thursday and Adora was trying to hit her up? Sure, Catra  _ could _ once this call was over. With as flexible as her work schedule was she could totally afford to get a little flexible herself. But if Grayson was under the impression that she could be summoned at any time with those three stupid letters, she had another thing coming to her. It worked last week, but that was then and this was now. 

**Adora (9:28 AM):** Thought it might be the only way to get you to respond. 🙃

**Adora (9:28 AM):** Not even a full minute. Looks like I was right!

Like hell Catra was gonna answer again after that. Adora just thought she was  _ so _ clever...

**Adora (9:30 AM):** Before you get all 😾 Haven’t seen you in way too long. It’s Thirsty Thursday! Drink tonight? 

Catra returned her attention back to the call, which actually appeared to be wrapping up. She set her phone to the side and dove back into her current job. This one had a ton of tree trimming; a line of poles with many of them so covered with vines and branches that she was ready to let them be reclaimed by the forest. The wooded area was also smackdab in the middle of someone’s property, so there would be rights to gather, the customers would need to be notified (fortunately it was “Hey, we’re fucking doing this because pretty sure you like having electricity.”), and this territory’s forester was absolutely infuriatingly chipper guy by the name of  _ Bow _ . Not Beau or Bo- which, while both were dumb they at least usually were short for something. But as he “humorously” corrected in their first email correspondence, it was just Bow and he used the w. As in “Wow! I sure love arrows!”

Ugh. Just kill her now. How she wished she could just tell the communications company to shove it and try again in a different part of the area, really any part that Arrow Boy wasn’t in charge of. But sadly, as Scorpia so cringingly liked to say in her absolutely abysmal impression, “Make it work, designers!” Only in the most extreme circumstances, after she had exhausted every possibility, utilized every tool in her designer belt, could Catra ever tell an attacher to “remove and reroute the line”. She delighted in every chance she got to use it.

That simply wouldn’t be happening in this case, because the work could be done, she would just need to contact the forester company to get a pretty in depth appraisal beforehand. Bow and his team would trim up what needed to be cut and make sure there would be no major environmental impact from it along the way. She would simply have to deal with his upbeat dumbassery as they got things sorted. The thought crossed her mind that if she ever had to collaborate with Bow  _ and _ Adora on the same job, she’d just give up right then and there. Maybe test some high voltage lines with her bare hands.

Pushing any thought of the dummy from her mind, Catra buckled back in to get a rough estimate of just how many trees she could see that were impacting the lines. If she got the report out today, she could chill with some pole modeling or other such brainless work. In the midst of her counting, Netossa emailed her with some all too rare good news. A super complicated job from months ago, where Catra had to plan the underground cabling for an entire subdivision (catering to bunch of rich fucks all building their dream homes out in the middle of nowhere; Catra hated each one of them as individuals and as a whole) got approved with little to no follow-up corrections. That motherfucker had been a  _ project _ and she was glad to be one step closer to never having to think about the development again. Maybe she deserved to celebrate and what better way... 

**Catra (12:08 PM):** ugh, it’s just thurs bcuz im not 21 ne more. but ya, idc 

**Adora (12:12 PM):** Wahoo! 🍻🍻

**Catra (12:14 PM):** ur so annoying, let me work u idiot 

**Catra (12:19 PM):** 8p

**Adora (12:22 PM):** Can’t wait, Cat. A week without seeing you is way too long. I’ll have a lot to make up for… 😉

**Adora (12:29 PM):** And I’m off tomorrow, so. 😏

The fact Catra spent the rest of her work day with a tiny bit of spring in her step was solely due to being closer to putting the bougie subdivision behind her once and for all, no other reason.

Shut up. 

  
  
  


“Whoa.” Adora stared at Catra, slack-jawed. As if looking dumb wasn’t the blonde’s default expression, her current resemblance to a hooked fish really made it clear. “Y-your hair…”

Catra drew an arm over her chest, hunching her shoulders slightly as her tail wrapped around her waist reflexively. She had decided to close up shop early today in light of her victory over the bougie subdivision and as she read in her solarium, windows open, it was apparent that the weather was beginning to change. Her long curls were really so much easier to deal with in the warmth and Catra generally preferred to straighten her hair during the winter. She could wake up, run a brush through it, and call it good. Sure  _ getting _ the curls to their non-springy state was a pain, but she had an afternoon to kill, so why not make her upcoming morning routine easier? She scowled out with an impatient lilt. “What about it?”

“It’s  _ beautiful _ .” Adora sputtered, eyes trailing down the length of the chestnut locks, amazed to see how far it fell down her back. The curls were gorgeous, of course, but she just had not been expecting to see Catra wearing a different style. “I… You…” As the words failed her, the blonde settled into a mooney-eyed grin, one that Catra immediately wanted to slap off her face. Or memorize and never let go of. Shut up.

“Don’t hurt yourself, dummy.” The magicat uncoiled her tail from around herself and turned away to head into the Waste. “And wipe that smirk off your face, this has nothing to do with you. Though,” She paused in the doorway to the bar, hand resting on the doorknob, “it is much easier to pull on when it’s like this...” 

Catra pretended to not see the fist pump out of the corner of her eye as she entered the bar.

A quick nod hello past security and then the pair were at the bar, ready to order. Catra got herself a mixed drink, just a rum and Coke, and put up with about a minute and a half of indecision from the blonde before ordering her one of the same. Adora blanched for a second, before her mouth curled into a grin. “Ordering for me, huh? Cute.”

“I am  _ not _ cute and neither was your chorus of ummm’s and uhhhh’s,” Catra mocked her hook-up’s stupid facial expression as the blonde waffled about what to order. “Griz was about two seconds away from telling you to fuck off and stop wasting his time, so I made the call. I’m fucking used to having to make all the decisions when I’m around you.”

“Yeah, sure, until you’re in the back of my truck…Then that’s the last thing you want.” Adora smarmed under her breath, drumming her fingers on the bartop as they waited for their drinks to arrive. 

The magicat gave a low growl, but did not comment further. She would neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of that statement at this time. As soon as it was placed in front of her, Catra snatched up her drink from the bar and stalked away towards a booth. Grizzlor definitely overheard that last comment and she couldn’t deal with that. Just so fucking clever, that Adora Grayson. Not.

Adora followed along after the brunette, definitely feeling like she’d won this round. She settled into the seat, not quite ready to touch her glass more than it took to transport it over here. After watching Catra raise her drink and sip several times, neither speaking, Adora glanced around their surroundings slowly appraising what she could make out in the low light. Not thinking much of it she commented, fingers toying with the condensation starting to build on her glass. “Can’t believe you got me back in  _ here _ a second time. And about to drink from a glass no less.” Adora smiled at her own quip before shrugging and raising her cup in a mock toast, ready to fully embrace the long-dead concept of YOLO. The liquid was bitter and sweet all at the same time; the alcohol content probably enough to knock out some of the weaker wee beasties partying on the glass. She consoled herself with the thought as she drank. 

Catra watched, entirely devoid of expression, though her tail began to lash slowly behind her. Once Adora had set her drink down again and looked to be trying to make out some of the writing on the walls near their booth, the magicat asked in a very even tone, “What do you mean “in  _ here _ ”?

The blonde blinked away from her examination. What she had been viewing was definitely words, but they were all clustered together and had so much other scrawling over top that she could not decipher anything definitive. Still distracted by the puzzle, she didn’t think anything of her answer. “I mean. Look at this place. It’s a little…” Really, it wasn’t nearly as bad as she remembered from her first visit. Maybe the other week some chainsmokers had just come in from the patio because there was no distinguishable scent in the air, beyond the rum in her glass. The drinkware itself was smudged, but Adora had been fiddling with it quite a bit once they first sat down. They were seated by that weird stain on the floor though. Something had definitely oozed on that tile once upon a time. “Like… that for instance.” She gestured towards the floor and the stain. “What bodily fluid made that? Blood? I’m guessing blood.” Adora cracked a smile, certain the rough woman would get a kick out of discussing how the knife fight that made that went down.

Catra did not even need to look at the tile in question to answer. She spoke lowly over the edge of her glass. “... Paint.” 

“Huh?” The blonde’s eyes flicked up to her drinking partner for the evening, brows furrowing together, not sure if she’d actually heard anything or not.

“It’s paint, dumbass.” Catra took another sip, then opened her mouth to educate, memories of the grand reopening of the bar under DT’s ownership coming to her mind. It had been a day of drinking from sunup to sun down. Residents of the gayborhood, artists and musicians, and long term patrons were all welcomed to come and leave their mark on the bar, literally. Bands scrawled their best lyrics, individuals painted their names alongside a plethora of dicks (at least most were covered up by band stickers at this point; only the most impressive and detailed dongs got to stay) and even Catra had contributed to the mural that took up almost the entire back wall behind the bar. The Waste was such an institution in the gayborhood, and the relief that someone had purchased it when Peekablue decided to sell so salient, that the response to the event had been massive. But when you get that many drunk people in one area accidents happen. For whatever reason, that paint stain just wouldn’t budge from the tile no matter what they did to clean it up. 

It had been one of the best days of Catra’s life, a sense of community unlike one she’d ever felt before. Sure it was all just a ploy, a chance for the new owner to play at heartstrings (not to mention rake in the substantial covers for a day of drinking and plenty extra to cover “event costs''), but it sure worked with her. Even when she moved, this was still her Spot. And Adora was turning her nose up at it? Fuck that. Her jaw snapped close as quickly as it opened.

“How do you know that?” The blonde asked, genuinely curious. Catra sounded so matter of fact; she definitely had some insider knowledge. It was kind of telling that they kept using this place to meet up. Maybe it was close to Catra’s home? 

Whether Adora saw that she was about to answer or not, or truly wanted to know, the window was up. Catra didn’t have to tell this dummy anything she didn’t want to. “... I just know, okay? Drop it.” 

“Fine, fine.” Adora surrendered easily, sensing a nerve had been struck. She had probably been a little too harsh in her judgement of this place. Sure, it was a little dark, maybe hadn’t seen a mop in a while, but truthfully it wasn’t that bad. No worse than her regular watering hole. Dive bars should just get a pass on certain things; most people weren’t coming here to be wowed by the atmosphere and decor, but just looking for a chance to unwind in a spot where they could just be as they were. And it was obviously important to Catra, for whatever reason.

Catra stared her down, unblinking. “The Waste is The Waste. You don’t have to like it. Or meet me here if it’s not  _ good _ enough for you.”

“How many more times are you going to accuse me of that?” Adora asked lightly, knowing she was no longer defusing the situation, but unable to stop herself. “Look, next time we do this,” She gestured between them, “You can come to my neck of the woods. See my haunt in all its glory.”

“Bold of you to think we’re doing  _ this _ ,” Catra repeated the gesture the blonde had made, “again, dummy.”

Adora nodded a few times, considering. The ice in her drink hit her teeth as she downed the last of the cocktail. Back to examining the walls for their fascinating hieroglyphics, she murmured absently. “Pretty sure you’ll just keep on coming to meet me.” Before Catra could even so much as scowl, let alone protest against the measured assertion, the blonde continued with a smirk across her lips as she flicked her steel-blue eyes to watch for Catra’s reaction. “Because I’ll make sure that  _ you _ keep on coming and keep on coming and keep on…”

“Ughhh! Shut up!” The magicat slammed her near-empty glass down on their table. “You are the absolute  _ worst _ , most  _ annoying _ , positively… Dorky person I’ve ever met in my life!” She was about ready to tear her hair out, wondering if her masochistic proclivities were beginning to leak out of the bedroom into her everyday life. It was the only explanation of why she willingly put herself into Adora’s company tonight. She could have so easily said no to the drink offer, but let’s meet up for another quickie. She could have. She  _ should _ have _. _ “How. How is it that you can be so good in bed when you’re the way that you are? It’s a fucking nightmare, I swear.” Catra buried her head in her hands.

“Darling, I’m a nightmare, dressed like a daydream…”

Slowly, the magicat’s hands slid from where they were covering her face. She blinked twice, her heterochromatic stare otherwise not breaking away from Adora’s face once. With a raspy whisper she panned out, “You. Did. Not.”

“Quote Taylor Swift at you?” The blonde beamed, not having the decency to look even remotely ashamed for her gross transgressions. “Yup! Sure did. I wonder if they have it on the jukebox…” She regarded the player mounted on the wall thoughtfully.

“If you want to have  _ any _ chance of getting into these pants tonight, you will stay exactly where you are.” Catra hissed, ready to bolt if the blonde even inched towards the music machine. There were many things the magicat would tolerate for a good fuck; Swiftie was not one. Needing her hands to do something other than throttle the woman seated across from her, Catra picked up her glass again, staring mournfully at the last pitiful drops available to her. “I need another fucking drink…” 

“Awww! Why’s that?” Adora clucked her tongue consolingly, tilting her head in concern. “Rough day at work, princess?”

The magicat sucked in a breath, ear flicking once. Was it really worth the time and energy to be able to ride this handsome butch again? Of course as she pondered, Adora chose to shrug off her jacket, rolling up her sleeves to expose her sculpted forearms. Her arms flexed as she ran a hand through the short crop of her blonde hair, managing to make the muss somehow even more sexy and inviting. A single lock fell over one bright blue eye, the woman smiling at it before tossing it away with a far too practiced head flick. It was such an  _ act _ , but damn if the magicat’s mouth didn’t dry instantly, the miniscule bite of rum she had remaining was not sufficient enough to quench her thirst in the slightest. It was like every motion Adora made beckoned to Catra, pulling her into the other woman’s orbit no matter how irritating or embarrassing. She drained what little she had left in her cup before muttering, “I hate you.”

“And yet, you’re still here. So can’t help but wonder if you do or not. Are you  _ really _ giving it your all, Cat?” The blonde said seriously, though internally was trying to hold back her laughter. Adora could climb any wall Catra threw at her, match her in any game she set, and would even adopt the brunette’s pace as her own. Exactly why their hook-up last week had been so matter of fact; Adora just knew it was what Catra would need after the intensity of their time before. She wasn’t really patient by nature, but anything worth having... “Why don’t I run and get you another drink and then you can tell me all about it, your bad day at work.” It was a risk, Catra could very well vanish into the night while Adora’s back was turned. But she just had a feeling that the magicat wouldn’t. For all her bluster and snarling, they were vibing; Adora always knew when a girl was into her or not. She slid out of the booth not waiting for a confirmation. 

Minutes later, Adora returned to the table, precariously balancing several drinks in her hand. “Got you a repeat, along with a water. I’m not that kind of gal.” She made a face as she said it, taking a long quaff of her own ice water.

Catra had considered leaving while Adora was at the bar. Really, she had, but on a closer inspection of her situation she actually did kind of want to tell someone about her victory over the subdivision. Sure Scorpia knew all about it, a job of that caliber meant that the department head had been the one who gave it the first review before they sent it off to a senior engineer who would really break it down. Her friend had been ecstatic when they got the green light this afternoon. But no one else in Catra’s life would actually get it (like she really had that many people to tell in the first place). Utility poles, electrical work, it was stuff that just faded into the landscape. People took it for granted, which was fine, not like Catra really wanted to be in the limelight. It certainly wasn’t anything anyone would want to like,  _ read _ about for fun. But this was an achievement and supposedly Adora was a professional in their field so she might understand the magnitude of that job. Of course, she was also a complete idiot so Catra wasn’t really expecting much.

“Uh, thanks. Yeah. That’s perfect.” The magicat gratefully accepted both glasses; the water was an unanticipated, but welcomed bonus. It was so cool on her tongue; how had Adora known… She cleared her throat, suddenly a little uncomfortable.

“No problem at all!” Was the bright reply, the woman happily sipping on her own beverage. Adora seemed to have switched over to beer. Mixing. She really was a dummy.

Catra hesitated, not really knowing if the blonde had been joking about hearing about her work day or not. Well, obviously since the woman was an  _ asshole _ she had been kidding, but she hadn’t given much indication of being a total jerk and would probably listen. Catra decided to at least skirt the edges of the topic taking a swallow of her cocktail. “It actually wasn’t a bad day at work. I, uh, got a big job approved…” The blonde immediately honed in, all two seconds of her attention span solely on Catra in an instant. The magicat flinched, feeling so suddenly  _ perceived _ , but with a bit of coaxing from her drinking partner she slowly relaxed enough to explain the scope of the project. She talked about the frustrations with having to design for individual needs of each house, along with making sure there would be enough power to supply the area as a whole. Adora nodded as she went, sometimes coming in with a few clarifying questions that actually weren’t completely inane. The blonde didn’t do much underground work, but sometimes cables were just cables whether they got installed above or below the earth. And Adora seemed to be genuinely interested in everything Catra had to say, a highly nauseating and refreshing prospect. Not much unlike Adora herself.

As the magicat finished, the blonde sat back positively beaming. “Well, look at you, Madame Designer! I knew you were good, but sheesh. That’s pretty amazing. What were you doing slumming it out in the boonies with me if that’s the level of skill you have?”

“Every once in a while they cut me some slack. Or more likely they knew just how fucking irritating you are and gave it to me as some form of twisted punishment.” Catra was glad for the subdued overhead lighting that would cover the slight flush to her cheeks. It was all from the rum, of course, particularly since somewhere in the midst of her rant Adora had managed to flag Grizzlor’s attention and silently convince the sullen bartender to refill their drinks  _ and _ deliver them, but she wouldn’t want the dummy to get the wrong impression. With a small tilt of the glass in her hand, Catra could see that once again she was in need of a top off. She set it aside, disappointed, but returned her attention to the blonde across from her. “Slumming it with you is about right. Jesus, I really don’t know how you managed to fuck up the primary even after I  _ told you _ multiple times what the right size was.” 

Adora blinked once, but quickly recovered with a smile. “Eh, I’m stubborn. Just part of my boundless charm.”

The magicat ignored the boast. “Do you know how much shit I went through with scheduling to keep postponing the project end date on that midspan pole?” Maybe it was a slight turn in conversation, but Adora was just going to have to keep up. Rum always made her a bit more loose-lipped, but more than anything she looked for any opportunity to tear into her “supporting” departments. “I hate those fuckers. Constantly on my case about things I can’t control, namely whether you bozos can find your own asses that day or not.”

“I’ll just have to make it up to you, won’t I?” The blonde leaned back in the booth, arm draped over the back of the seat. She was all for shop talk, but she couldn’t let the magicat go that long without a compliment or come on. “All that extra work… You must be so  _ tense _ .”

Catra rolled her eyes, not even dignifying that lame attempt with a response. She did make a mental note to explore that offer thoroughly, albeit later. For now, Catra was on a roll and ready to deal out some astoundingly basic education for their chosen career paths. “It’s not that difficult, Grayson. If it’s greenish, it’s copper, because god knows with our poor ass electrical grid upkeep, the weatherproofing is long gone. Otherwise just count the fucking wires in the bundle. Two strands wrapped around a neutral? Triplex, go figure, since there’s  _ three wires _ . Any guesses on how many quadraplex has?”

Adora huffed, taking a long quaff from her glass of water. Catra wanted to stay focused on work? Fine by her. The magicat was good, that much was obvious, but their roles weren’t apples to apples. “Pfft. Try counting wires when they’re 25-35 feet above you, suspended in the air. Especially if it’s raining or snowing or whatever. It’s really not that easy for those of us that don’t just get to sit back and putter around on a computer all day.” 

“I look at the poles from cameras in  _ space _ for fuck’s sake. Or rely on the few pictures the fielders take for me. If I can figure it out correctly from Google Earth, you can figure it out when it’s right in front of you.” Catra purposely ignored the comment about the height; like she was going to secede an inch on an issue she was right about. Also there were a variety of tools the crews had at their disposal to get a closer look. Grayson was just trying to make excuses for her own incompetence. “You know what? Just call me the next time you’re out on a job. I’ll figure it out for you so you don’t fuck shit up again. Save some other designer the perpetual headache that comes from working with you.”

Adora raised an eyebrow, a smug grin flying to her face.  _ This _ was more like it, definitely the direction she wanted things to go. “... Did you just tell me to call you?”

“No! Shut up, ughhh.” The woman’s tail lashed behind her back wildly, tipping back the remainder of her drink. That one went down way too easily. She pointed one clawed finger at the smirking butch on the other side of the table. “You’re buying me another drink for that.”

“Wooow. Way to make it even more obvious, Cat.” The blonde teased, standing up from the booth to happily follow the woman’s command for another potent potable. “Keeping to the same thing? I’ll be right back.”

The magicat’s eyes narrowed for a moment, before she relaxed and grinned. “Nah, I wanna switch it up. I’ll go up with you.” Catra rose with surprising grace given the speed at which she’d been drinking this evening and led the way, tail brushing against Adora’s arm as she passed. 

She ended up with a drink in a short glass that Adora didn’t recognize in the slightest, some sort of house special called The Portal. It was a disconcerting inky black, though as Catra held it up to her mouth the blonde saw in the light that it was actually a deep purple. The magicat smacked her lips at the taste, wincing and shaking her head all the while. 

Adora held her curiosity in check until Catra waved her glass to indicate she wanted another. The blonde returned with the requested beverage and as they made idle chatter, watched as the woman imbibed two more sips. With every drop Catra seemed to give into the biting liquor more and more; her ears relaxed and her laughs just grew a touch more squeaky. It was adorable to behold, but Adora made sure to keep her water glass full, nudging it towards her as they talked. The gesture was ignored. Unable to resist any longer, the blonde held out her hand. “All right, lemme get some of that.”

Catra snorted. “Gross. Get yer own.”

“Gross?  _ Really _ ? After all the places my mouth’s been on you, sharing a drink is where you draw the line… Okay, Catra.”

“God, here! Just shud up already.” She slid the drink over in front of the blonde, the back of her mind fully focused on just all the places Adora’s mouth had been and would be later tonight. A purr wanted to escape at the thought, but she held back. Catra couldn’t appear too eager. Adora couldn’t  _ know _ . Sure she knew, but she couldn’t  _ know _ , ya know?

Adora braced herself. The scent of alcohol was pungent as she raised the cup to her lips. Her reaction to the contents in the glass was immediate and sharp. With a sputtering cough she choked out, “Jez!”, the closest she could get to Jesus with her scorched vocal chords. That exclamation did not seem sufficient enough to capture the distress that she was in. Her brain mashed together two phrases, ‘Mary on a cross!’ and ‘That’s wrong!’ The ending result came out suspiciously like “Ma‘tron!” as a coughing fit overtook her.

Catra cackled with delight. Sure, Portals had definitely taken her to another reality once or twice, but not after a single  _ sip _ . She grinned viciously, making no attempt to ease the blonde in her time of need. Once that lever was flipped, one simply had to ride it out all their own. “Wow, such a big, stron’ butch you are. Real sexy, babe. Take me now!” It had started as a joke, but actually… 

“What the  _ hell _ is in that glass?” The blonde managed to sputter out after several long pulls from her glass of water. “It’s unholy!”

“Ah, laddie- lassie, whatever you be. This be gentler than mother’s milk!” The magicat winked, giggling as she affected the brogue. She didn’t really know where it came from, but very quickly decided that she did not care in the slightest. “Mibbe a wee bit sharp, but no worse than yours truly.” Catra let just the hint of an incisor peek out as she smirked. “Thin’ my bite’s worse, but I’ll make it feel  _ real _ good.”

Adora placed an elbow on the table, leaning her head to rest in her hand. She watched as the brunette happily lapped at the petrol in her glass, apparently numb to the bite at this point. Not a great sign. Carefully, Adora reached a hand over, placing it across Catra’s wrist. “Hey, we’ve got all night. There goes your stomach lining if you drink that stuff quick enough.”

“Don't tell me what to do!” Catra hissed, recoiling away from the blonde’s touch. Her eyes narrowed as the hand dropped to the table. Satisfied, she paused for a second then tipped the drink back, trying to down it in one go. Of course, inhaling liquid fire was not an advisabled course of action, even as an attempt to assert one's autonomy, so within seconds Catra was coughing and choking. 

Adora moved swiftly, dragging the glass away from the sputtering magicat, on high enough alert that she couldn’t even take a moment to appreciate the feeble grabby hands the woman tried to make at the cup in between her fit of coughing. The blonde was seated next to Catra a moment later, rubbing small circles against her back to try and even her breathing. “You’re okay, it’s all good.” She repeated as the magicat slowly regained her composure.

With one last wheeze, Catra swatted at Adora’s arm, claws retracted, but wiggling away from the other woman. “Gid off, dummy. No touching!”

Adora immediately threw up her hands, halting as to not make any sudden movements. Her instinct was telling her to very slowly exit from the booth and find a way to convince the woman that a switch to water would make her Friday morning so much better. 

Before she could, Catra crashed down on her shoulder, the blonde just managing to catch her. She muttered out one quiet “Idiot” before her multi-colored eyes shut. After positioning her arm against the back of the booth, trying to touch as little of the dozing woman as the current situation allowed, Adora did not dare to move again. Griz had been quietly, but attentively, watching the scene from behind the bar. As Adora made eye contact with the man, he gave one single nod before filling up a pitcher of water. She smiled gratefully, in the need of non-alcoholic liquid for herself, but knowing when Catra woke up from her nap that she’d need to pour at least three glasses into the woman before calling her an Uber.

She smiled to herself as Catra readjusted deeper into her shoulder, long hair acting as a curtain to partially cover her face from Adora’s view. She had to resist every urge to tuck the long locks behind one ear. Grizzlor appeared then, filling both their glasses. Adora nodded her thanks as the haggard man shrugged. She glanced at her watch; barely eleven o’clock. They had plenty of time for Catra to sleep it off a bit before the bar announced its last call for the night.

Catra awoke a short while later, Adora just browsing on her phone. The first thing the magicat registered was how she was latched onto the blonde’s arm, the very close second was just how warm the other woman was. She shifted slightly, tail wrapping Adora’s wrist. 

At the fuzzy brush, Adora looked away from her phone, smiling down at the two-toned eyes that had been watching her. “Hey there. Welcome back.” The magicat made a curious little trilling noise, but otherwise didn’t answer. Adora’s heart seized at the sound, biting her lip to keep from absolutely cooing at how cute it had been. She refrained only because she recalled how varied Catra’s responses had been this evening. Fortunately she seemed docile enough currently, though still a bit blurry. “How about you sit up and drink some water with me?”

The brunette made no move to change her position, entirely content to stay in the warmth. A part of her knew this was highly embarrassing, but she was still far too deep in the Portal to really care. Adora poured some more water, scooting the glass closer to her. “Just a sip?” Catra growled lightly at the offer, but her tongue was feeling a little thick. The water had felt good earlier in the night...

Relieved to see Catra raise up and begin to drink something that was actually hydrating, Adora waited until the woman had gotten her fill. She rolled out her shoulder and stretched the arm that Catra had claimed for herself shortly after laying down. Her clawed hand had groped around for it, searching along the back of the seat before tucking it under her chin. Adora was pretty sure the no touching rule was no longer in play if the magicat herself had been the one to seek it out so just rolled with it. Then again, were there actually any hard and fast rules when it came to Catra? “That’s my girl. Just keep drinking, okay? I’ll get you back home here soon, but take your time.”

“Taking me home, ‘Dora?” Catra grinned, nails slightly scratching the glass as they curled in anticipation. Exactly why she’d come out here tonight; to celebrate and get pounded. She’d had her fill of booze and was more than ready to get filled by the butch. 

Adora chuckled slightly, shaking her head. “Not tonight, babe. I’ll help call you a car in a bit to take you home, after you sober up some more.”

“What if… I wen’ home with you.” Catra hedged. At the moment that certainly sounded like a pretty fantastic idea. Her tail came to tickle behind Adora’s calf and reflexively the blonde shied away. The magicat was a little put out by the flinch, but it only made her teasing all the more bold. With far more finesse than someone who had been downing drinks all night should possess (not to mention whilst in a booth), Catra stretched up and firmly placed herself in Adora’s lap, facing the blonde head on. She wrapped her arms around her shoulder, staring at the woman’s strong jaw, following it down the curve of her neck. In a saturated, calculating tone, she rasped out, “Hey, Adora.”

Adora had to hold back a groan at the position change. Catra was just so suddenly  _ there _ . She couldn’t take the woman up on her offer, it wouldn’t be right, but  _ fuck. _

Before the blonde could react, the magicat grabbed onto one of Adora’s big hands, bringing the longest of her fingers up towards her lips. It hovered there, not quite brushing against them, only teasing with her warm breath. Catra smirked as she felt Adora give a little start, eyes alight at the possibilities. “We could hav’  _ a lotta _ fun.”

Summoning a fortitude that bordered on godlike, Adora cleared her throat and gently moved their hands away from Catra’s mouth. “Thoroughly tempting… If you weren’t drunk.” Her voice only wavered slightly, which also was an accomplishment in and of itself.

“Pfft. I’m fine! Jus’ need like two, three glasses of water.” The brunette reached back behind her, searching for a glass. Weakly Adora provided for her, Catra giving her a pointed grin of thanks. She chugged heartily from the cup, a single drop escaping from the corner of her mouth. Her tongue quickly lapped it up, before running over the length of her lips and settling on the point of her fang, mouth parted slightly. Catra’s eyes never swayed from Adora’s reverent gaze, luxuriating in the agonizing want coming off the other woman in waves. “See? Bett’r already...” 

Adora pushed away the fog in her brain and the chant of “I’m so gay, so gay, so gay.” Maybe Catra  _ was _ better, but it was also just not a place she wanted to even get close to, a risk she would not take no matter the vast appeal of the situation. She managed to choke out, having to clear her throat several times to get through the four simple words. “Glad you’re feeling better.” 

Catra gave a small roll of her hips down, hand resting on Adora’s collarbone, curling her fingers so her claws rested ever so suggestively against the woman’s chest. In a low purr, “Just imagine how much bett’r I’ll feel with your hard-…”

With a fluid motion Adora firmly placed her hands on Catra’s waist, the magicat’s eyes widening at the unforeseen contact. She bit her lip eagerly, but it quickly turned into a discontented pout as Adora lifted her off of her lap, settling her on the table. Catra growled faintly when Adora then scooted herself down the bench, not even having the decency to remain in between her legs. Spoilsport.

The blonde took a few moments to breathe and clear her head, before saying in a shaky voice, “I-I’m gonna call you an Uber. Your phone, please?” She held out her hand, not the least bit surprised when Catra’s tail settled in the palm before hooking around her wrist. The magicat gave a slight tug, inviting Adora back to her original seat. She groaned and inhaled, drawing the breath between her teeth. “Catra… Phone?”

“Don’ see why you just don’t  _ take _ me…” The brunette giggled, just short of fluttering her eyelashes, “... Home.”

Breathing steadily, Adora stared at the tabletop. Would it be that bad, really? Neither one of them was really under any illusion of how the night would end, it was pretty well implied… No, no. It wasn’t right. She raised her head, gaze piercing as she regarded the insistent magicat, wanting to stop things before they went any further. “Not tonight. Now, give me your phone right now so I can call you a damn Uber.”

Catra crossed her arms, sorely discontented by the blonde’s stubbornness. But fine, if Adora wasn’t gonna play ball tonight, she wanted to get home as soon as possible and take care of matters herself. Her Satisfyer would satisfy where the blonde would not. “No fucking Uber. Scorpia.” Even a little toasted, Catra was able to recall the pact she had with her best friend. It had been drilled into her mind so many times over the years that it was just instinctual. Scorp would come for her and not charge her an arm and leg (maybe just breakfast the next day or at the cost of some light ribbing). She tossed her phone over, making sure to unlock it. Sure she was perfectly capable of calling herself, but maybe once Adora realized what she’d be giving up for the night as she dialed...

The blonde blinked, not recognizing that particular ride share company. Man, there really were new services out all the time… “All right then, I’ll call you a Scorpia?” The magicat sniffed, finding a partially undrunk beer on the table and helping herself. Adora was far too engaged with swiping through Catra’s home screen, looking for any apps by that name. Her brows furrowed together as nothing really stuck out at her, the situation only coming to make sense after using the search function on the phone. “Ah, Scorpia’s a person. Got it.”

“Duh, she’s a dummy. Like you, but also not. You’re a  _ dummy _ .” Catra explained, biting the lip of the bottle as her eyes roved over the handsome blonde. “Just a fuckable dummy…”

“Another time. I promise, Cat.” Adora replied, more focused on the phone ringing in her ear. It was late, hopefully this person would answer…

_ “Heeeey, Wildcat.” _ A voice yawned.  _ “Wha’s up?” _

“Uh, hi,” Adora began, already feeling like a heel for obviously waking this person up. Maybe she should just hang up, take the magicat home herself. The problem was, with as persuasive as Catra could be, Adora simply didn’t trust herself. Especially in light of their past vehicular activities. “I’m sorry to wake you, but my name is Adora and…”

_ “Where’s Catra? Is she okay? Is she hurt? Does she require medical attention? I swear, say the word and I’ll have an ambulance on the way in _ seconds _!” _

The woman on the other end seemed on the edge of a breakdown, but Adora couldn’t get a word in edgewise to try and prevent the spiral. It was only when this Scorpia drew a small breath that Adora broke through. “Catra’s fine, she’s fine! No ambulance needed! She’s right here- Cat, can you say hi to Scorpia?” She held out the phone in Catra’s direction. The woman just proudly displayed her middle finger as she drained the last of the room temperature beer. “... Or flip me the bird, that’s fine too.”

The woman on the other end of the line heaved a sigh of relief, chuckling.  _ “Yup, that sounds like my Wildcat. She’s okay?” _

“Yeah.” Adora began, frowning slightly as Catra set the empty bottle back down on the table. The magicat stuck out her tongue and eased down from where she had been seated on the table. Adora watched, still speaking to Scorpia as Catra made herself comfortable in the booth properly. “She had a little too much to drink though. We’re here at The Crimson Waste? If that means anything to you.” The blonde was heartened to hear the woman on the other end call out,  _ “Oh, boy does it! Good times, good times!”  _ before falling into a fit of giggles. 

Waiting patiently for the lifeline to gain some control of herself, Adora looked over towards Catra, who had moved close enough to reach over and begin to trail the tips of her fingers over the outside of Adora’s thigh under the table. The blonde swallowed and grabbed the wandering hand, lacing their fingers together and giving it a fluttering squeeze. The magicat startled, staring down at their interlocked hands and blinking in Adora’s direction. The corner of her mouth ticked up for a second before looking away.

Before Adora could decipher any of that, Scorpia seemed well enough recovered for her to continue. “Great, because I was wondering if you might be able to come get her. Well, actually, she asked for you specifically…”

_ “That’s my girl!” _ Adora bit the inside of her cheek on that one; it was an innocuous enough phrase, certainly not one the blonde had any claim to at this time, but...  _ “Yeah, of course I can! Only thing is, The Waste isn’t really in the neighborhood for me anymore, so might take me a minute… You seem more or less in control of all your facilities. Minding staying with her until I can get there?” _

“Wouldn’t dream of leaving.” The woman was back to resting her head on Adora’s shoulder, still holding on to her hand. Adora began to run circles over the top of Catra’s thumb, swearing for a moment that she heard a faint purr from her left side, but it was overshadowed by the woman on the phone.

_ “Whew, boy. That’s a load off! What’d you say your name was- Adora?” _

“Yeah, that’s me.”

_ “Thanks for taking care of her, Adora, seriously. Should be less than an hour. If Griz wants to close up, just explain the situation to him and he’ll get it. Probably let you stay inside so long as you don’t mind helping to clear tables!” _ Scorpia laughed.  _ “Not the first time I’ve ever rescued Catra from the bar and she’s carted my drunk butt home enough times too. He’s all too familiar with Super Pal Duo shenanigans.” _

Catra growled out of nowhere, tail flicking behind her. Adora glanced at her, puzzled, but shook it off. The bout passed, whatever its source was, and the magicat was back to happily claiming Adora’s arm as her own, a fact that truly did not bother the blonde in the slightest. “That’s such great news. Thank you, Scorpia. I really appreciate this. Drive safe. If anything comes up, Cat will have her phone on. Give us a buzz.”

_ “Roger that! Over and out!” _

True to what Scorpia had indicated, once Adora had explained the situation to Grizzlor, the barkeep barked that they could stay. Amazingly he did not even invoke the stipulation that they work for the right. Which was all the better as Catra seemed to have dozed off once more, her head resting in Adora’s lap. Adora looked down at her sleeping beauty, not envious of the headache she was bound to wake up with. But even from that short conversation with Scorpia, the blonde knew Cat would at least be in good hands. And at least she herself would get to sleep in; the vacation day had been a little impulsive but-...

Oh. Tomorrow was a work day. Fuck. Suddenly Thirsty Thursday seemed even more ill-advised for a couple of almost 30 year olds. She sighed, but as Catra turned over to lay on her side, head resting against the blonde’s stomach, Adora couldn’t help but smile. Their night had taken a few twists and turns, but the fact that Catra lay sleeping against her was truly the best outcome. She didn’t even mind that they hadn’t had sex tonight or even kissed once. Adora wasn’t brave enough to call this outing a date, no, she wanted the pleasure of asking the woman out with intention and treating her like royalty for an evening. But it was a start, a start that Adora could definitely work with.

Not even forty-five minutes later, Catra’s phone buzzed. Scorpia was outside, but the doors were locked for the night. Griz would probably let her in, but would Adora mind just coming out? They’d already put him through enough. Adora smiled at the long message, agreeing it was high time the barkeep got to go home to his bed. She nudged at Catra’s shoulder, the woman giving a little whine of protest and shaking off her hand. Adora grinned, changing tactics. She tucked the loose strands of Catra’s long, chestnut colored locks behind her ear, hearting swelling as the woman gave an unconscious little smile and her golden eye flickered open slightly. She said softly, loathe to disturb the woman in any way. “Hey, Scorpia is here.”

Catra groaned and buried her face in Adora’s thigh, digging into her place for the night. Adora considered for a moment before lifting the woman up with great care, cradling her arms behind the magicat’s knees and neck. Catra’s claws dug in a little as she felt herself being moved, but relaxed when she realized what was happening, all too happy to pretend to be asleep. Adora walked carefully, beyond grateful when Griz came over with the jacket she almost left behind. He awkwardly balanced it on the blonde’s shoulder, shaking his head with a low growl of, “Least she didn’t puke this time…”

There was a story for another time, but for now Adora just wanted to safely get Catra home. She moved down the hallway mindfully, glad that the door at the end could be pushed open with a knee. As the night air hit them, Catra shivered, turning to clutch into Adora’s chest before sighing in relief at the blonde’s body heat. 

“Well, that alone was worth the drive, getting to see this cuteness first hand!” A tall woman, more jacked than most of the professional builders Adora saw at the gym, wandered over with a wide grin. “Not sure when Wildcat went and got herself a girlfriend, but I guess I know what we’re talking about over breakfast!”

“Oh- we’re not, she’s  _ not _ -...” Adora fumbled, bemused. She had no idea who this person was to Catra, so it was hard to say how much of their situation the magicat would want aired. “We’re just friends…?” She finished lamely, frowning as she said it. It wasn’t right, but there wasn’t an easier, less revealing explanation that came to mind.

The woman ignored Adora, waving the words away. “Nah, don’t spoil it for me! Wanna hear every detail for myself, at least once Wildcat is able to drag herself out of bed.” Scorpia giggled, waggling her eyebrows at the blonde. “Speaking of, mind telling me how bad it got for our girl tonight so I know what to expect tomorrow?”

“Ah, well, haven’t really seen her drunk before so hard to say. She was pretty good until she started on that one drink, the weird black one? Then it sort of…” 

“Portals? Oh goodness, Cat… Adora.” Scorpia’s face was now entirely serious, a slight frown on her lips. “Tell me honestly, how many did she have? And did she speak with an accent tonight? Even for a second?”

“Uhhh… Two. And yeah, a bit.” The blonde blinked, not expecting that question in the slightest.

“Was it country twang, English, or something else?”

“... Vaguely Scottish?” Adora offered, now intent on hearing the entire  _ novella’s _ worth of stories from Catra’s best drunk moments someday.

“Huh, that’s a new one... Guess you brought it out in her, ya bonnie lass! Best get your lady tucked into bed, I’m parked right over here.” Scorpia led the way, opening the door for Adora to lay Catra across the back seat. As she left her arms, the brunette shivered again, curling up tightly. Adora didn’t even hesitate for a moment to wrap Catra up in her jacket before shutting the door.

“Hey, Adora… Thanks again for calling me.” Scorpia clapped a hand on her shoulder, looking about two seconds from pulling Adora into a rough bro hug. “Seriously, it means a lot and shows me how much you care for her. I like that. I like you!”

Adora chuckled nervously, entirely unprepared for the overwhelming amount of sincerity from this perfect stranger. She awkwardly patted the woman’s hand before stepping away, happy to get some distance. Scorpia was obviously very sweet but… “Heh, uh, thanks for coming to get her.” She considered for a moment, making up her mind rather quickly. “Would you let me know when you get her home? Just like a quick text, nothing major…”

“Oh, yeah, of course! Lemme just give you my number!” Scorpia dug around in her pocket, fishing out her phone.

“Oh, no, you really don’t have to- I mean, just text me from Catra’s phone…?”

“Nonsense, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of you so it just makes sense to do the exchange now. Or do you want to give me yours? Either way is totally fine with me, end result is all the same! Six to one, half a dozen to the other in my book!” The woman grinned happily at her, fingers ready to punch in her number.

Adora blinked, but shrugged. It was a little strange, given the circumstances, but she really didn’t care if this woman had her telephone number, especially if it meant she would get confirmation that Catra had made it home safely tonight. After swapping digits, Scorpia gave an enthusiastic wave, thanking Adora again and promising she’d text the minute they parked at Catra’s apartment. 

The blonde watched as the SUV disappeared into the night, equal parts relieved and disappointed. Catra didn’t need a guardian, someone to babysit her, or keep her in line. That wasn’t the role she wanted to play in the woman’s life in the slightest. But maybe if Adora had been a little more insistent about her drinking water, a little less free with the refills… She sighed and frowned, the question of whether she’d played tonight correctly weighing heavily on her mind as she made her way home all by herself.

  
  


Scorpia had just made the turn off the street The Waste was located on when Catra sat up in the back seat. The driver looked at her soused passenger in the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow. “Heya, Wildcat. Good time tonight?” Catra did not meet her gaze or give any acknowledgement. Scorpia continued on, entirely nonplussed by the snub. “I’ll let you get some rest, but you’re definitely telling me all about your new girlfriend over pancakes. And sausage, maybe bacon? Ah, we’ll see what the mood is tomorrow…”

Catra looked out the window at the sleepy buildings they passed, claws digging into her arms as she coiled into herself. Without preamble, she pressed the button to roll down the window. She ripped Adora’s jacket off of her and flung it out the window, the red material flailing as it left her hands. Before Scorpia could say a word, Catra’s mismatched orbs met hers again in the rear view window, glinting dangerously under the streetlights. She spoke plainly, though venom dripped from every word. “She is _ not  _ my girlfriend _.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Intermission from SMUT and SIN brought to you by: Relationship Building and Development, Amitola12 Style. 
> 
> “If you don’t want it as a one and done...   
> Prepare to *suffer*... through puns and fun!”
> 
> Except, hmm, our magicat didn't seem to be having much fun towards the end there, did she? Even Adora seemed a bit subdued. Hm hm hm...
> 
> If anyone is curious, The Portal is my name for a Black Sunday:   
> 1 oz Wild Turkey 101 Proof Bourbon  
> 1 oz Everclear  
> Black Cherry soda  
> Not a chugging drink!
> 
> If you follow me on Twitter (which you totally can, @amitola121…) and saw my “Grand Puppetmaster'' tweet, it was completely about Catra’s drunk accent. ~None of you can stop me!~ (And as some Discord patrons have learned, I get an obnoxious drawl with the right level of indulgence of alcohol. Hehe.)
> 
> Take care, all!

**Author's Note:**

> (If any one is curious, my Adult Life is as a Designer. This Fic was fueled after I bitched enough times about some stupid crew leader trying to tell me how to do my job. One thing lead to another and well. If you liked it... go thank rokumonshi. Or itcanprobablysmellfear. LegendaryDork certainly didn’t discourage it nor did I hear TheMidgardSerpent say anything. 
> 
> Y’all are terrible and I love you so much for it.)
> 
> (PS; I did not fuck that crew leader. Wouldn’t want to leave y’all wondering. 😝)


End file.
